Israel’s Chief Rabbi Criticizes Supreme Court Judges as ‘Arrogant,’ Ethics Commissioner Rules Comments Exceed Limits

Israel’s Public Complaints Commissioner for Judges, retired Judge Asher Cohela, ruled on Thursday that remarks made by Israel’s Chief Rabbi and President of the Rabbinical High Court, Rabbi David Yosef, against Supreme Court judges crossed the line of legitimate criticism. Rabbi Yosef had called the Supreme Court “enemies of Judaism” and described its judges as “arrogant,” statements deemed inappropriate for someone holding a senior judicial position.

However, the commissioner dismissed complaints related to Rabbi Yosef’s criticism of a Supreme Court ruling that required the Rabbinical Court to allow women to take rabbinical certification exams. These comments were considered part of his core duties as Chief Rabbi and thus exempt from ethical restrictions.

Rabbi David Yosef’s harsh criticism came in April following a Supreme Court decision during the Sabbath concerning limits on protester numbers in demonstrations against the government. In his weekly sermon, he accused the judges of acting recklessly and trampling on Jewish tradition, calling their actions illegal in the Jewish state. He further stated that the judges were biased and had become “enemies of Judaism,” asserting that no religious Jew trusted the “arrogant group” of Supreme Court justices. Rabbi Yosef vowed to fight to preserve the Jewish identity of the state, concluding that Judaism would ultimately prevail.