Israel Bar Official Reveals Near Appointment of Haredi Judge to Supreme Court

Deputy Head of the Israel Bar Association, attorney Yosef Weitzman, revealed that Israel's judicial system was once very close to appointing a Haredi judge to the Supreme Court. This disclosure follows the recent historic appointment of Rabbi Benjamin (Beni) Forer as a judge in the Los Angeles Superior Court in California.

Weitzman stated in a media interview that approximately six years ago, during Ayelet Shaked's tenure as Justice Minister, an initiative was underway to appoint a Haredi judge to Israel's Supreme Court. Shaked personally approached Weitzman with the mission, and he began searching for suitable candidates. The initiative also received enthusiastic support from the then-President of the Supreme Court, Judge Miriam Naor, who expressed eagerness to find a candidate.

Weitzman, working with Dr. Chaim Zicherman, identified a highly qualified Haredi candidate, described as an "hardcore Haredi" well-known in legal circles. However, just before the appointment was finalized, the candidate requested to remain in his current position and declined the Supreme Court role, with his family also advising against the move. Weitzman lamented this missed historical opportunity.

Since then, efforts to find suitable Haredi candidates have continued, with Weitzman noting that the system itself would not oppose such appointments. He identified the primary obstacle as the significant gap and disconnect between different societal sectors, emphasizing the need for genuine desire and increased proximity between the legal world and the Haredi community. Weitzman believes that seeing Haredi judges, first in lower courts and eventually on the Supreme Court, would significantly enhance public trust in the judicial system.

Weitzman cited the appointment of Rabbi Avner Yifrah to the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court as an example of the positive change such appointments can bring. He explained that when secular judges were exposed to the Haredi world at Yifrah's daughter's family event, their perspective shifted, leading to a more understanding approach towards Haredi litigants. He also referenced discussions with the late prominent lawyer Dr. Yaakov Vinerot, who, despite his own halachic considerations, strongly supported the appointment of Haredi judges.

Weitzman further argued that from a halachic perspective, the work of a lawyer often involves more complex dilemmas than that of a judge, particularly when building arguments and versions for clients under the principle of "Dina deMalkhuta Dina" (the law of the land is the law). He concluded that a Haredi judge serving on the bench is not just a professional but is fulfilling a paramount public mission, fostering trust within the Haredi public and the broader court system, and this advancement is a necessity for building confidence across all key roles in the justice system.