Supreme Court President Apologizes for Remarks on "Kosher Phones"

President of the Supreme Court, Justice Yitzhak Amit, has formally responded to complaints filed against him regarding remarks made during a High Court of Justice (Bagatz) hearing on the topic of "kosher phones." In his response, Justice Amit clarified that he did not intend to offend the Haredi sector and expressed regret that his words were misinterpreted.

The apology follows a Bagatz hearing concerning a petition against decisions regarding regional radio stations. During the hearing, Justice Amit stated, "He who has a kosher phone in one pocket has a phone to call in the second pocket. A kosher phone to show off and one real phone." These comments sparked controversy within the Haredi community, leading to the complaints.

In his response to the complaints commissioner, Justice Amit explained that his statements were not meant to harm the Haredi sector but to address a factual issue that arose during the legal proceedings. He noted that the phenomenon of simultaneously using a kosher and a non-kosher phone has been raised in previous Bagatz cases and in public discourse. Amit further elaborated that his reference to a "kosher phone to show off" was intended to recall a position held by some within the Haredi public itself, who emphasize the importance of displaying their kosher phone as a form of identification within the community. He pointed out that the term "to show off" and its variations are indeed used in this context, even by Haredi-affiliated media.

Justice Amit reiterated that his intention was solely to address factual claims previously raised about the Haredi community's use of kosher phones, given its direct relevance to the petition. He acknowledged that his words were unfortunately echoed in the media in a distorted manner, not reflecting his true intent. After reviewing the complaints, he stated that his remarks had indeed offended parts of the Haredi public, which was never his intention. Reviewing the hearing recording, Amit concluded that given the issue's public sensitivity, it would have been better to phrase his remarks differently and expressed regret for hurting the feelings of the complainants or others.

The original Bagatz hearing addressed a petition filed by Lobby 99 and the Success association against decisions allowing regional radio stations to broadcast beyond their designated areas. The petitioners sought to overturn decisions by the Second Authority for Television and Radio Council and the Minister of Communications, Shlomo Karhi.