Justice Minister Yariv Levin on Tuesday sharply criticized the High Court of Justice, contrasting former President Aharon Barak's quote about the judiciary having "neither sword nor purse" with the current court's warning that officials defying rulings could lose personal immunity. Levin called the gap evidence of the court's decline and accused the justices of threatening to suppress dissent like dictators, according to his statement published by Israeli media.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin escalated his public confrontation with the High Court of Justice on Tuesday, publishing a statement that juxtaposed the judiciary's past and present ethos. He quoted former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak's well-known maxim that judges have 'neither sword nor purse' — relying solely on public trust — against the current court's explicit warning that officials who defy judicial rulings may lose their personal immunity. Levin called the gap 'the low point to which the Supreme Court has sunk,' and accused the justices of threatening to forcibly suppress those demanding justice, comparing them to 'the last dictators who have lost public trust.'
The remarks come as the High Court itself on Tuesday warned that defying its rulings could carry personal legal responsibility for officials, a move Levin characterizes as a coercive overreach. As The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday, Levin also urged the judges to do soul-searching and respect democratic decisions. The confrontation is the latest in an ongoing institutional struggle between the coalition and the judiciary over the scope of judicial review and the government's authority.
4 developments
- DevelopingJustice Minister Levin attacks Supreme Court as 'enabling' attorney general's actions
- StrongLevin responds to High Court warning: judges must do soul-searching, respect the law
- StrongSmotrich, Karai, Levin condemn High Court warning as 'extortion', 'yoke', call for judicial soul-searching
- DevelopingLevin slams High Court President Amit in new escalation
Source and signal
- Internal intake