Former Israeli Supreme Court Justice and State Attorney Edna Arbel Dies at 82

Edna Arbel, former Supreme Court Justice and State Attorney of Israel, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 82. Arbel was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004 and served until her retirement in June 2014 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. Prior to her tenure on the Supreme Court, she worked in the Central District Attorney's Office from 1972 to 1988, serving as the district attorney for the last four years. From 1988 to 1996, she was a judge at the Tel Aviv District Court.

In January 1996, Arbel was appointed State Attorney and also served as acting Legal Advisor to the Government during absences. She chaired the 2000 Prosecution Committee and led a committee that formulated an ethical code for prosecutors. Arbel participated in international discussions on the International Criminal Court in Rome, The Hague, and Strasbourg. She was a member of the investigative team for the Sabra and Shatila massacre and authored the report commissioned by the Attorney General following the police investigation into the 1984 Bus Line 300 affair.

Arbel 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. The Israeli judiciary expressed deep condolences to her three daughters and family, with Supreme Court President Justice Isaac Amit and other senior judicial officials acknowledging her significant contributions to the legal system.