Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich escalated his criticism of the judiciary Sunday, telling Supreme Court President Isaac Amit that if he and his colleagues wish to interfere with Basic Laws, they should form a party and be elected to the Knesset. "The people are sovereign," Smotrich said. "Don't you dare destroy Israeli democracy."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich escalated his confrontation with the judiciary Sunday morning, directly warning Supreme Court President Isaac Amit: "Don't you dare destroy Israeli democracy." The comment came in a statement released shortly after The Zioneer reported Smotrich had singled out Amit by name following a stormy High Court hearing on the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee.
The Zioneer first reported at 10:34 Jerusalem that Smotrich had launched a frontal attack on the court, telling Amit he should "declare himself Israel's ruler" and end "this charade." The desk's initial wire that morning — based on an N12 report — captured Smotrich's core argument: if justices wish to override Basic Laws, they should form a party and be elected to the Knesset. By the time Smotrich himself released a direct statement, the message had sharpened from a general challenge to a personal warning aimed at the court's president.
As The Zioneer reported on Sunday, the dispute pits the coalition's push for greater political control over judicial appointments — led by Justice Minister Yariv Levin — against the High Court's defense of its institutional independence. Smotrich, who holds the finance portfolio and significant authority over civilian affairs in Judea and Samaria, is a central figure in the right-wing coalition.
It remains unclear whether the Supreme Court or Justice Levin will issue a formal response to Smotrich's remarks. The court has not commented publicly on the minister's personal attack.
4 developments
- DevelopingSmotrich warns High Court: the people are sovereign, do not destroy Israeli democracy
- DevelopingSmotrich accuses attorney general, Supreme Court justice of being 'agents of chaos'
- DevelopingMK Tally Gotliv calls Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit 'a criminal under the protection of the law'
- DevelopingNetanyahu and Smotrich urge Haredi hesder yeshivas to back controversial laws for budgets
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