Journalist Raviv Drucker Criticizes Appointment of Judge Menachem Mizrahi Favoring Netanyahu

On Monday, Channel 13 journalist Raviv Drucker publicly criticized the appointment of Judge Menachem Mizrahi to the District Court. Drucker highlighted that this is the first significant judicial appointment successfully made by the current coalition, describing it as a controversial move. He accused Mizrahi of being a judge who greatly pleased Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his associates in high-profile cases such as the Build-Up Affair, Kataragate, and the Broverman case. Drucker noted that Mizrahi’s rulings were overturned by four other district judges, indicating judicial disagreement with his decisions.

Drucker emphasized that the importance lies not in who was right in those cases but in the message sent by this appointment. He warned that if judges make decisions favored by the Prime Minister, the Justice Minister might aggressively pursue their appointment, even at the cost of delaying numerous other judicial nominations. He also pointed out that Supreme Court judges on the selection committee supported Mizrahi’s appointment, suggesting they prioritize public interest. The appointment will take effect in three years, raising questions about whether a future government might revoke it and how defendants opposing the government might feel facing Mizrahi in court.