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The meeting came after Justice Minister Yariv Levin over the weekend criticized High Court judges for "taking advantage" of the war.
By ELIAV BREUER DECEMBER 15, 2024 15:17
Attonrey-general Gali Baharav-Miara and Justice Minister Yariv Levin at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on October 1, 2024
(photo credit: OREN BEN HAKOON/POOL)
The leaders of the coalition parties met on Sunday to discuss the removal of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara from her position and the resumption of the controversial judicial reforms.
On both issues, the party leader “decided not to decide,” according to a spokesperson for one of the said they would only support the moves if the coalition first complete legislation that would exempt most haredim from IDF service, the spokesperson said.
The meeting came after Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who was present in the coalition party heads’ meeting on Sunday, over the weekend accused judges in the High Court of Justice of “taking advantage” of the war in order to “continue taking over authorities of the Knesset and government,” and warning that “this cannot continue.” Levin’s accusations came in response to a High Court decision on Thursday to set a deadline of January 16 for the Judicial Selection Committee, which Levin chairs, to elect a permanent Chief Justice.
Levin has refrained from holding a vote to elect a permanent chief justice because he does not enjoy a majority in the committee, and therefore, the committee is likely to appoint the interim chief justice Yizhak Amit to the position, and not Levin’s preferred candidate, the conservative Yosef Elron.
A central part of the judicial reform is a bill proposal to change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee, such that it will give the governing a coalition a majority and thus the power to choose which judges to promote and the power to determine the identity of the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice has a number of unique statutory authorities, including appointing the members of the National Commissions of Inquiry. In addition, the Chief Justice has influence over which judges will hear which cases.
Foreign Minister MK Gideon Sa’ar, who as a member of the opposition, strongly opposed the judicial reforms, issued a statement on Sunday clarifying his position. Sa’ar wrote regarding the Judicial Selection Committee that while changes can be made, they should not be based on the 2023 legislation, “and certainly not changes that apply retroactively.” Sa’ar wrote regarding the attorney-general that he supported a proposition to split the role into two separate jobs – the attorney-general is currently both the official interpreter of the law for the government and responsible for law enforcement, including against the government, and Sa’ar supported removing the latter authority. However, Sa’ar did not mention the initiative to fire Baharav-Miara. Sa’ar appointed Baharav-Miara to the position during his tenure as Justice Minister in the previous government.
“The minister Sa’ar believes that in this time much responsibility is required to prevent the worsening of tensions in Israeli society, and any move must be balanced and take into account the enormous security and diplomatic challenges that Israel faces and will face in the coming period,” Sa’ar concluded.
Opposition MKs criticize government
Earlier on Sunday, opposition leader MK Yair Lapid and leader of the National Unity Party, MK Benny Gantz, criticized the government for considering the resumption of the reforms.
In a video statement, Lapid said, "Yariv Levin, with full backing from Netanyahu, is endangering the State of Israel. Those responsible for the October 7th disaster are returning to destroy the country on behalf of the delusions of crazed extremism. They are once again trying to crush the court, the Knesset, and our democracy.”
“We will not let the government of destruction dismantle Israel and turn us into a non-democratic state. We will fight in the streets, we will fight in the Knesset, we will fight in the legal arena. We will not let them bring another disaster upon us," Lapid said.
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Gantz wrote on X, "When I met the Minister of Justice for the first time after October 7th, I saw a stressed and frightened man, almost begging us to rescue the country from the trouble to which he understood he bore leading responsibility. We did so without asking questions, and we will always do so when the country is in trouble.”
Gantz continued, “Instead of resigning and apologizing to Israeli society for his enormous part in the disaster we went through, instead of taking responsibility for the crisis we reached – he is trying to drag us back to October 6. Any coalition member who supports this will be remembered with infamy like Yariv Levin."
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