A bombshell report published by Ynet on Monday revealing serious allegations against liberal Supreme Court judge Yitzchak Amit has likely torpedoed his appointment as President of the Supreme Court, to the delight of Justice Minister Yariv Levin and other right-wing politicians.

According to the report, in recent years, Amit had been involved in several civil legal proceedings concerning an apartment co-owned by him and his brother in south Tel Aviv while using his previous name, Yitzchak Goldfreind, without reporting it to the court administration as required and without the lawyers knowing they were representing a Supreme Court judge.

Additionally, while serving as a Supreme Court judge, Amit ruled over numerous cases that were clear conflicts of interest without disclosing that fact, including presiding over cases represented by the law firm that represented him as well as two cases involving the Tel Aviv municipality, which was involved in a renovation project involving his property and even filed a criminal indictment against him for not addressing safety violations on his property. He also sat on the Judicial Selection Committee when a judge involved in one of the cases appeared before the committee as a judicial candidate and failed to disclose the conflict of interest.

The report has major significance since Amit is the focus of a long-standing dispute between Justice Minister Yariv Levin and the Supreme Court. Following former Supreme Court President Esther Hayut’s resignation in October 2023, Amit, as the most senior justice, was expected to be appointed as the next president, as is customary. However, since Amit is a liberal, Levin wanted to prevent his appointment as president and has delayed his appointment again and again. Changing the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee, which currently is a leftist echo chamber since the justices themselves appoint their cronies, was a key part of the coalition’s judicial reform plan that was never passed into law due to the left-wing riots and the October 7 assault and resulting war.

Finally, the Supreme Court recently ordered Levin to convene the Judicial Selection Committee [which is comprised of mainly left-wing judges], and a hearing was scheduled for this week, during which Amit was expected to be appointed as president! Fortunately, the Ynet report has likely thwarted that possibility and may even lead to disciplinary action against Amit, with right-wing politicians calling for the immediate revocation of his candidacy for president. Even a Yesh Atid MK, Merav Cohen, expressed her skepticism about Amit’s suitability for the position following the report, saying that judges “need to serve as role models.”

Additionally, the police have launched an investigation into the claims raised against Amit, including allegations that he appeared under a different name in a legal proceeding and failed to report it.

MK Tali Gotliv (Likud) wrote: “Yitzhak Amit should not only be disqualified from becoming the President of the Supreme Court, but he is unfit to serve as a Magistrate’s Court judge! I challenge anyone in the State of Israel to argue that a person exhibiting fraudulent behavior should hold such a position. The court administration’s defense of ‘he didn’t know’ portrays Amit as either incompetent or assumes that the public is gullible. But here’s the truth: we are not fools, and we won’t accept this explanation.”

The right-wing Im Tirtzu organization filed an appeal to the Judicial Selection Committee, demanding that Amit’s candidacy be suspended until the case is investigated and there are adequate responses to the serious allegations against him.

Levin sent a letter to Amit on Monday stating: “It is well known that Your Honor submitted his candidacy for the position of President of the Supreme Court. There is no need to elaborate on the importance of the position. It is a symbol of authority, held by the head of the judiciary, someone with extensive powers, and a member of the Judicial Selection Committee.”

“Since discussions began in the committee regarding the appointment of the President of the Supreme Court, objections have been raised, bringing forth serious allegations regarding 13 cases in which you presided. According to the claims, your participation in these cases occurred in situations of conflict of interest and without proper disclosure.”

“You responded to these allegations with a general answer, without addressing each case specifically, avoiding a detailed explanation of the facts and the relevant legal context.”

Referring to the Ynet report, Levin wrote that the article raised “additional serious allegations, supported by documents, concerning several cases in which it is claimed you did not fulfill your duty of disclosure and adjudicated cases in situations that ostensibly constituted a conflict of interest.”

“If these claims prove to be true, they establish grounds for disciplinary action, including alleged violations of ethical rules. Therefore, it is essential to present the Judicial Selection Committee with all relevant factual and legal material, along with a detailed explanation for each case.”

“I must note that the mere fact that the issues raised in the report were not previously brought to the committee’s attention is a serious matter in itself.”

Levin demanded an urgent response from Amit due to the discussion scheduled for Thursday by the Supreme Court regarding the appointment of a new President.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)