Israeli Justice Minister Levin Rejects Supreme Court Judge's Offer to Maintain Status Quo on Judicial Appointments

Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin revealed that a Supreme Court judge proposed he abandon his judicial reform efforts and continue the longstanding system of appointing judges, but Levin refused. Speaking at a Likud conference on Thursday, Levin said the judge suggested resolving the judicial reform crisis by simply conceding, explaining that previous justice ministers had accepted a list of candidates approved by the judicial establishment for Supreme Court appointments. Levin criticized this system as preserving near-total control by the judiciary over its own composition, with candidates presented as conservative reformers but actually aligned with the existing judicial leadership.

Levin stated that candidates with different legal views, such as Dr. Rafi Biton and Dr. Aviad Bakshi, were rejected by the judicial leadership and would not receive support. He was told that if he insisted on appointing such judges, the establishment would wait for his term to end and revert to the old system with a new justice minister. Levin firmly rejected this approach and vowed to continue his reform agenda if the Likud wins the upcoming elections, aiming to appoint judges with more diverse perspectives to the Supreme Court.

He described the judiciary as a "fortress" that has preserved itself without significant change for years and emphasized the public now understands the need for reform. Levin outlined several reform steps already implemented, including changes to the judicial selection process, the complaints commissioner system, and the removal of the Police Investigations Department from the Attorney General’s office. He also highlighted the appointment of dozens of new judges, many of whom would not have been considered under the previous system.

Levin declared his intention to remain justice minister if a right-wing government is formed after the elections, to complete the judicial reform. He dismissed protests, threats, and pressures against the reform, stating, "I want to return to the Justice Ministry and complete the mission." He criticized the current system as undemocratic, where judges select themselves and change rules as needed, calling it the opposite of democracy.