In a rare joint statement, the five former presidents of Israel's Supreme Court criticized the government, calling its actions 'the last nail in the coffin'. The full statement was published by The Zioneer.
The Zioneer has published the full text of the joint statement by five former Supreme Court presidents—Aharon Barak, Dorit Beinisch, Asher Grunis, Esther Hayut, and Uzi Fogelman—who condemned the government's defiance of the High Court as 'the last nail in democracy's coffin.' The statement, issued Monday evening, was first reported by ynet and N12 at 18:01 Jerusalem, before The Zioneer made the complete text available at 18:27 Jerusalem. The former presidents warned that the government's refusal to comply with a ruling on the Second Authority for Television and Radio constitutes an 'unprecedented' threat to the rule of law.
Initial reports at 18:01 Jerusalem from ynet and N12 described the joint statement without naming the signatories. Within minutes, N12 identified the five former presidents, and the quote 'the last nail in democracy's coffin' was attributed to them. A subsequent thread item (version 5) specified that the warning was directed at the government's decision regarding the Second Authority Council, which the former presidents called 'unprecedented in severity.' The Zioneer's own article, published at 18:27 Jerusalem, brought the full document to readers.
The statement is a rare, unified condemnation by all living former presidents of Israel's Supreme Court. It follows the government's decision to defy a High Court ruling on the appointment of the Second Authority Council—a move the former presidents argue undermines the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary. As The Zioneer reported earlier Monday, the joint statement marks a sharp escalation in the legal and political crisis surrounding the government's judicial policies.
The five former presidents have not yet received a formal response from the government. The Prime Minister's Office and the coalition have not commented on the statement. It remains unclear whether the government will take any steps to address the former presidents' warning or whether the standoff will escalate further.
3 developments
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- StrongEisenkot: Netanyahu 'dividing Israel' in new statement after government defies High Court
- DevelopingFormer Supreme Court President Hayut: Israel sliding into anarchy
- DevelopingCritic slams Lapid for attacking government instead of confronting anti-Israel narratives
Source and signal
- Internal intake