Justice Minister Levin Accuses High Court Judges of Frustration After Ruling

Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin reacted Thursday to a High Court of Justice decision that temporarily froze a law he championed concerning the Police Internal Investigations Department (Mahash). Levin stated that the court's ruling, decided by a two-to-one majority, demonstrated the "frustration" of a "handful of Supreme Court judges" who are "trying to cling to the horns of the altar."

He accused these judges of attempting to protect the "failed institution of Mahash" through a "member protects member" system, following their loss of control over the Judicial Appointments Committee and the ombudsman for judges. Levin framed the upcoming elections as a choice between himself as Justice Minister in a national government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, or a justice minister in a left-wing government led by Gadi Eisenkot and Yair Golan, asserting that the elections will determine who appoints the next ten Supreme Court justices and end the "rule of a handful of left-wing judges."

Earlier on Thursday, the High Court issued an interim order freezing Levin's Mahash law. The decision was made by President Isaac Amit and Justice Daphne Barak-Erez, with Vice President Noam Sohlberg dissenting. The order effectively halts the selection of the department's director, the work of the selection committee, the appointment of the department's coordination chief, and the determination of its budget. The judges cited the petitioners' arguments and the Attorney General's concerns regarding the immediate impact on Mahash's operations, especially during the election period, as factors in their decision.