Israeli Judiciary Was Close to Appointing First Haredi Supreme Court Justice

The Israeli judicial system was once very close to appointing the country's first Haredi judge to the Supreme Court, according to Yosef Weitzman, Deputy Head of the Israel Bar Association. Weitzman revealed this in light of the recent appointment of Benjamin (Beni) Porat, a Chabad jurist, to a judgeship in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in California.

Weitzman stated that approximately six years ago, during Ayelet Shaked's tenure as Justice Minister, an initiative was launched to appoint a Haredi judge to Israel's Supreme Court. Shaked personally tasked Weitzman with finding a suitable candidate, saying, "I have a mission, there must be a Haredi judge in the Supreme Court." The initiative also received enthusiastic support from then-Supreme Court President Miriam Naor, who urged Weitzman to "bring me the name already."

Weitzman, working with Dr. Chaim Zicherman, identified a highly qualified Haredi candidate. However, at the last moment, the candidate declined the appointment, reportedly influenced by his family and a desire to remain in his current position. Weitzman expressed regret over the missed opportunity, calling it a potentially "historic event."

Since that time, Weitzman noted, numerous attempts have been made to find suitable Haredi candidates, with the judicial system itself not being the primary obstacle. He attributes the main challenge to the significant disconnect between the legal world and the Haredi community. Weitzman believes that appointing Haredi judges, first to lower courts and eventually to the Supreme Court, would foster greater trust in the judicial system among the Haredi public and the general population.

He cited the appointment of Judge Avne Yifrah to the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court as an example of how such appointments can improve inter-community relations and understanding. Weitzman also addressed concerns about potential Halachic (Jewish law) dilemmas, referencing discussions with the late attorney Yaakov Weinroth, who, despite his own reservations about Halacha versus civil law, supported the idea of appointing Haredi judges. Weitzman argued that the role of a lawyer often involves more complex Halachic challenges than that of a judge, especially when adhering to the principle of "Dina d'Malkhuta Dina" (the law of the land is the law). He concluded that appointing Haredi judges is a crucial public service that builds trust and is essential for the judiciary.