The judiciary in Israel is undergoing a “full-fledged attack” that “goes far beyond the boundaries of legitimate criticism,” Supreme Court President Isaac Amit warned on Wednesday.
Amit made the remarks at a ceremonial event in Jerusalem for newly licensed lawyers who had recently passed the Bar exam.
His comments come amid near-daily verbal and procedural challenges directed at the judiciary. From the judicial overhaul legislation advanced in 2022, through the government’s refusal to formally recognize Amit as Supreme Court president, to efforts to remove the attorney-general, tensions between the judicial branch and the legislative and executive branches have reached unprecedented levels.
“We are witnessing attempts to weaken the judiciary, harm its independence, and wear down its dedicated and professional judges who have pledged their lives to public service,” Amit said.
One of the central flashpoints in the standoff between the judiciary and the government - particularly Justice Minister Yariv Levin - concerns the appointment of judges.
Levin repeatedly refused over the past year to convene the Judicial Selection Committee and advance appointments to the Supreme Court. After a series of High Court rulings compelled the committee’s convening, Amit was selected as Supreme Court president and assumed office after taking the oath before the president.
Levin declined to recognize Amit’s appointment
Levin has since declined to formally recognize Amit’s appointment through ministerial publication and has openly challenged the court’s authority in related proceedings, framing the dispute as one over democratic legitimacy and the balance of powers.
At present, the High Court is weighing a growing number of petitions that test the limits of executive discretion in judicial appointments. Its rulings are expected to shape not only the status of specific appointments, but the future contours of judicial independence and governance in Israel.
“The obligation to follow the law and observe judicial decisions is a necessary and basic condition for the existence of a functioning democratic society,” Amit said.
“When public figures completely ignore rulings that do not align with their views, what message does that send to the public?” he asked. “If someone in a position of power allows themselves to disregard a judicial ruling that does not suit them, why would an average citizen see themselves as bound by that same ruling?”
What Israel is witnessing now, Amit warned, is an erosion of “the very idea of equal application of the law - a system that obligates every citizen. If the law is not applied equally, it loses its meaning.”