"Israel Today" poll and "brainpower" reveals: Support for the judicial system depends on political views • 70% of Likud voters believe: High Court prevents political considerations
Supreme Court // Photo: Oren Ben Hakun
The public trust survey released yesterday in Israel Today and conducted in conjunction with a "brainpower" reveals a disturbing phenomenon regarding the justice system. Concerns that recent hearings in the High Court will cause the court to be seen as a political actor receive confirmation in the analysis of the distribution of poll results.
According to the survey, the overall level of trust in the High Court stands at 46 percent, compared to 40 percent who express disbelief and 14 percent "like this." However, segmentation according to voting patterns reveals a fuller picture. And only 28 percent of them trust the judiciary, and 31 in the Judiciary.
The picture is reversed among blue and white voters: 86 percent of the Supreme Court's support, 79 in the justice system, 72 in the Judea and Samaria Court. A similar trend is also recorded in response to whether the petitions for disqualifying Netanyahu as a government component are justified. According to the survey, 50 percent of the public believe the petitions are justified, compared with 31 percent who believe they are unjustified. But in segmenting political positions, a clear picture was received: On the right - strong opposition: 62 percent of Likud voters believe they are unjustified; So did 61 percent of voters on the right.
In contrast, in the left-center bloc, support for petitions is clear: 84 percent of blue-and-white voters believe they are right, 84 percent of Labor-Meretz-Meretz voters, 75 percent of Israel Beitano voters, and 59 percent of voters on the joint list.
The right is also unanimous that the High Court is not authorized to intervene in a coalition agreement: 63 percent of Likud voters, 72 right-wing voters. In the left-center bloc, on the contrary: 68 percent of blue and white voters believe the High Court is authorized to intervene in coalition agreements and 61 percent of Labor voters March.
According to the survey, most right-wing voters believe that the decision by the High Court is political. This is the position of 70 percent of Likud voters and 58 percent of right-wing voters. On the left, however, the Supreme Court believes that professional decisions are as follows: 71 percent of blue-and-white voters believe 76 percent Labor-Bridge-Meretz and 52 percent of voters in the joint list.
The conclusions that come from segmenting the survey results by voting patterns: First, the prevailing feeling in the right-wing media discourse, that public trust in the justice system is plunging and that the High Court is losing public legitimacy - only partially true. There is still a majority in the public that trusts the High Court. But the more important conclusion is that the Supreme Court has become a politically affiliated institution. The clear link between political inclination and the degree of trust in the motives, considerations and decisions of the trial court and the High Court may reinforce the concern that the degree of trust is influenced by ideological identification with his moves and judgments. As the court intervenes in political issues, influences legislation, policy makers, and demonstrates a tendency toward a particular side of public attitudes, the more the public perceives it as it is: another political actor in a tense system.
