Former Yesha Council chairman Adi Mintz has called on Supreme Court Deputy President Justice Noam Sohlberg to use his influence to reduce growing tensions between Israeli society’s different communities, following an attack on Sohlberg’s home in Alon Shvut.
In an open letter addressed to Sohlberg, Mintz condemned the incident, in which windows were reportedly smashed and violence was directed toward the judge’s family, calling it “a grave crime" and “a dangerous red line."
Mintz opened his letter by referring to remarks made by Sohlberg’s wife, Meira, after the incident, in which she compared the attack to the atmosphere surrounding Kristallnacht and expressed shock that Jews could harm one another.
“As a person from the national-religious public, I want to be clear: what happened at your home is a serious crime," Mintz wrote. “No protest, frustration, or disagreement justifies turning a judge’s home into a target."
At the same time, Mintz appealed to Sohlberg to take what he described as a broader public role amid Israel’s deep social divisions.
He argued that Sohlberg, as Deputy President of the Supreme Court and a figure respected among parts of the religious-Zionist community, has a unique ability to help rebuild trust between the judiciary and groups that feel alienated from it.
“Many eyes are on you," Mintz wrote. “You have a unique standing and moral authority to extinguish the flames and lower the level of hatred."
A central focus of the letter was the widening dispute over haredi enlistment in the IDF. Mintz warned of what he described as a growing process of “dehumanization" toward the Haredi community, citing hostile rhetoric and increasing social polarization.
He acknowledged that inflammatory statements from some haredi figures have contributed to tensions, but argued that the broader conflict has been intensified by political campaigns, government enforcement measures, and judicial decisions related to military conscription.
Mintz criticized the Supreme Court’s handling of the draft issue, referring to comments made during a hearing on enforcement of conscription requirements. He argued that discussions about large-scale arrests of draft-age Haredi men contributed to feelings of persecution within the community.
“When the Supreme Court speaks about prison facilities and arresting thousands, what message does that send to the street?" Mintz asked.
He said enforcement measures that do not distinguish between different groups within the Haredi public are perceived by many as persecution rather than equal application of the law.
Mintz called for a different approach, arguing that integration into military service should be achieved through dialogue, trust-building, and gradual processes rather than mass arrests.
“The solution will not come through force, arrests, or prison bars," he wrote. “It will come through restoring trust and leading a discourse based on gradual enlistment and broad consensus."