Supreme Court President Regrets Remarks About Haredi Phone Use

The controversy arose during an August hearing on petitions challenging a decision by Communications Minister Shlomo Karai to expand Haredi radio stations. Karai had argued the expansion was necessary for emergency alerts because most Haredi individuals do not own smartphones. During the hearing, Amit remarked to a Civil Defense representative that many in the Haredi population possess two phones, stating, "Often, the one with a kosher phone in one pocket has a phone for calling in the other pocket. A kosher phone to show off, and one real phone."

Complainants argued that Amit's remarks mocked the Haredi public and implied they were hypocritical. In his response, Amit clarified that his comments were part of a factual discussion about phone usage, which had been raised in previous court cases and public discourse. He stated he did not intend to offend the Haredi sector and expressed regret that his words hurt public feelings, acknowledging that the statement should have been phrased differently.