Honenu attorney and long-time right-wing activist Itamar Ben-Givir is calling to double the number of justices serving on Israel High Court of Justice.
Ben-Givir was responding to a motzei Shabbos appearance in Meet the Press (Israel Channel 2) by Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who spoke of advancing the Regulation Law.
Ben-Givir, who has been a longtime critic of the liberal left-wing High Court, feels by doubling the number of justices to 30, a move that can easily be accomplished in Knesset, the current administration can appoint right-wing justices to change the court. He explained that trying to change the current status quo will be shot down by the left-wing court so there is no hope in that direction.
Ben-Givir explains the change can be made by the Knesset Law Committee, which he points out has a majority even without coalition members from the Kulanu party, who are more likely to oppose the move.
Ben-Givir feels it is time for “thinking outside the box”, adding he has admiration for Shaked’s performance as a minister, seeking to persuade her into diluting the ultra-libertarian court by appointing new justices whose hashkafa is in line with the right-wing coalition.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Go for it full steam ahead!
He’s a hero
The Israelis have a system under which the current judges of the Supreme Court have a large role in choosing their own replacements, with the result being the court reflects who ran Israeli society when the Medinah was established (meaning socialist, anti-religious Asheknzaim), with minimal representation for Orthodox Jews and Sefardim and deliberate exclusion of Hareidim.
The Kenesset could change the system by a simple constitutional amendment but the prospect of a court system controlled by Sefardim and Datiim is scary even for Likud.
“appoint new justices whose hashkafa is in line with the right-wing coalition.”
How about appointing Justices who know the law and interpret the law when there is a vacancy and not “pack the court” with impose their “hashkafah” over others? We are talking about a secular court, not a religious court that will adjudicate gittin….
Great idea. At least until the Mashiach comes and we have the Sanhedrin again.
One would first have to change the appointment process or else you will just get more of the same – a larger court of the same political and social color. Yet even Ayelet Shaked, who has sincerely tried, has so far been unsuccessful in her attempts to change the appointment process.
Furthermore, a slew of current Justices of the Supreme Court are scheduled to retire in the next few years. If the appointment process is changed the makeup of the court can be changed dramatically within a short period of time without resorting to Mr. Ben-Gvir’s unwieldy (and unhelpful) solution of doubling the size of the court.