Israeli President Heckled at National Memorial Ceremony
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS French by baba
The story in 4 lines · by baba
- The incident reflects ongoing tensions between the judiciary and government officials.
- Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have publicly criticized Amit.
- The clashes are linked to the government's controversial judicial overhaul reforms.
- Amit has previously warned against hostility towards judges, citing a recent vandalism incident.
Video footage showed an attendee shouting that Amit was "not worthy" to lay a wreath at the memorial. Despite the outburst, Amit proceeded with the act of remembrance, alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other dignitaries.
Amit, set to officially take office in January 2025 and be sworn in the following month, had his inauguration ceremony boycotted by Netanyahu, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana. No government ministers attended the event. Levin had previously stated he would not sign Amit's appointment alongside President Isaac Herzog and refused to work with him.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also made personal attacks against Amit, calling him a "violent megalomaniac and predator." These clashes are part of the broader conflict surrounding the judicial overhaul legislation initiated in 2023 by Levin and MK Simcha Rothman.
In March 2025, the Knesset passed a revised version of one component of the overhaul, altering the composition of the judicial selection committee to increase political influence over judicial appointments. Recently, Isaac Amit has voiced concerns about hostility towards judges, warning at an Israeli Bar Association conference in September that verbal attacks could escalate to physical violence.
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