Attorney Bombach Accuses Israel Bar of Driving Judicial Politics
Attorney Ilan Bombach, who represents the state, launched a sharp attack on the Supreme Court on Sunday morning in an interview on Danah Varon’s “Morning Edition.” He criticized the court’s handling of both the dispute over the State Comptroller election and the wider debate over the Judicial Selection Committee, calling the judges’ conduct “regrettable.”
On the State Comptroller issue, Bombach rejected the court’s compromise proposal for a repeat vote because several Knesset members filmed their ballots, allegedly under political pressure. “We will not agree to new elections. There is no reason and no justification,” he said. He argued that no improper instruction had been proven and noted that lawmakers had also documented their votes in past elections without public uproar.
Bombach also attacked the court’s priorities, saying that cases involving ordinary citizens are delayed while political matters get attention. Referring to his own cases, he said he is being told hearings in the Supreme Court may be set for 2027, asking why that dispute should be prioritized over people “who are pleading for their day in court.”
On the Judicial Selection Committee, Bombach said the Israel Bar Association should not sit on the panel at all. He claimed the bar has become “a full political actor” that is hostile to the governing coalition and adds no value. He also criticized Supreme Court President Isaac Amit’s statements, saying the current situation is abnormal because litigants can often predict outcomes based on the panel assigned to hear a case. The background to the dispute is the election of State Comptroller Michael Ravilo, which was challenged in petitions to the High Court over alleged conflict of interest and concerns that filmed voting undermined secrecy. The court had proposed rerunning the vote to remove the doubt, but Bombach now firmly opposes that option.
