Former Israeli Supreme Court Justice Edna Arbel Dies at 82

The Israeli judiciary announced with sorrow the passing of retired Supreme Court Justice Edna Arbel at the age of 82. Arbel was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004 and served until her retirement in 2014 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. She is survived by three daughters.

Arbel began her legal career in the Central District Prosecutor's Office from 1972 to 1988, serving as the district prosecutor in her final four years there. In 1988, she was appointed a judge at the Tel Aviv District Court, a position she held until 1996. In January 1996, she became Attorney General of Israel and occasionally acted as the interim Legal Advisor to the Government. Throughout her career, she chaired the "Prosecutor's Office 2000" committee and led a committee to formulate an ethical code for prosecutors. She also participated in international discussions on the International Criminal Court in Rome, The Hague, and Strasbourg.

Arbel contributed to the investigation of the Sabra and Shatila massacre as part of the fact-finding team under Justice Yitzhak Cohen and authored the report commissioned by the Attorney General following the police investigation into the "Bus 300" affair. She represented the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General on various committees and taught criminology and criminal law at Tel Aviv University and Ono Academic College.

Supreme Court President Justice Yitzhak Amit, fellow justices, the Courts Administration Director Judge Tzachi Uziel, and other judicial leaders expressed their condolences to her family. One of Arbel’s notable and controversial rulings involved a challenge to an amendment to the Prevention of Infiltration Law that allowed holding infiltrators in custody for up to three years. Arbel authored the main opinion declaring the amendment unconstitutional for severely infringing on personal liberty. She wrote, "When a person is detained not because they pose a personal risk but to deter others, the treatment is not an end in itself but a means." She also acknowledged the hardships faced by residents of South Tel Aviv, emphasizing empathy for their plight.

Arbel’s legal legacy includes significant contributions to Israeli law and ethics, as well as involvement in high-profile national inquiries and international legal forums.