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Levin estimates: "The real dialogue with the opposition will come towards the final approval of the reform" | Israel today

2023-02-07T05:08:05.970Z


In a conversation with "Roim Vaif", the Minister of Justice confirms that the government is changing plans and instead of approving the entire reform as one piece, plans to advance it in stages • Levin explains in the podcast why the legal reform will affect all areas of life and help fight terrorism • He calls Aharon Barak, "a politician with a very extreme way of speaking, which dictated appointments in his image and likeness"


Almost two decades have passed since the current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Yariv Levin, presented to me for the first time his concept of curbing the Supreme Court's activism.

He was then a young political activist, while I started my career in journalism.

Many years have passed.

Levin, who was then among the few who came out against Aharon Barak and his teachings, today expresses the voice of many who believe that it is necessary to rebalance the relationship between the judiciary and the legislative and executive branches.

Upon his assumption of office, he and the chairman of the Constitution Committee, Simcha Rothman, embarked on a series of quick and bold moves that shook relations with the judicial system and gave rise to a sharp, and sometimes extreme, public protest.

Netanyahu and Levin, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

The Minister of Justice is well aware of the storm and after a few weeks that were mainly about preparing the moves behind the scenes - and also a short winter illness - he sat down for a 45-minute conversation, as part of the "See Far" drawing.

We talked about many of the aspects concerning the reform, although we did not get everything done.

"The claims are justified"

about his willingness to talk to opponents of the reform.

"Not only am I ready to talk - I want to talk," he says.

In his estimation, real conversations between the opponents of the reform and its supporters will take place when the Constitutional Committee's discussions progress to the second and third readings and "they will realize that it is time to talk seriously. Then things can be concluded very quickly."

the current demonstrations and calls against the reform, is an attempt to thwart the entire move.

Therefore, he also rejected the request of the President of the State to freeze the legislative procedures for two weeks.


Levin explains in detail why of all the issues on the Israeli agenda precisely the legal reform is the most important in his eyes.

A demonstration against the legal reform in Tel Aviv, February 4, 2023, photo: Coco

"These are core problems that affect every field imaginable. When we want to fight terrorism, strengthen settlement, do justice to marginalized and unrepresented communities - we encounter the judicial system, and the list is endless. They come to us with claims that we were elected but we do not control. The claims are justified. The reason for this is the judicial system."

Levin is convinced that the dramatic change in the composition of the committee for the selection of judges will lead to diversity in the composition of the judges.

As a result, the courts will rule in favor of the residents of South Tel Aviv, and not in favor of the rights of infiltrators who entered the country illegally.

"The reform will bring judges who will act in the way of legal certainty, who will understand that it is better not to endanger the lives of the IDF, in the name of principles that I do not understand, in order to protect a population that supports terrorism.

This will improve the functioning of the systems that fight terrorism, reduce the bureaucracy, and give the citizen a much better service."

Q: What is your answer to the claim that legal independence will be lost?

"The opposite is true. First, in most democratic countries, elected officials are involved in the selection of judges. Second, once a judge is elected, it is for life. Therefore, he is independent in his rulings and decisions. The government will not control the appointment of judges, but the governments, which change as has been the case for the past 15 years. If this reform had been launched then, you would have seen the court much more diverse today because every year only 2-3 judges change in the Supreme Court. When Likud ruled for many years, the coalitions were diverse and the ministers of justice were different. Therefore, we will get a diverse result."

President of the Supreme Court, Judge Esther Hayut, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

Levin claims that the current situation in Israel is not democratic, because the judges of the High Court of Justice have both "taken upon themselves the freedom to examine basic laws" and because they do not grant freedom of expression to those who deviate from the path they have outlined. "Today there is a police of thoughts and monoliths.

People who matter the same.

See the outburst of Judge Verda Elshich, in Judge Professor Oded Modric, who dared to express support for the reform.

It is a system that silences everyone and does not allow promotion for those who have a different position.

Judge Barak defined it as a family that not everyone can come into.

And I say, the Supreme Court belongs to all the citizens of Israel," he notes.

"The judicial system should not be cloned"

He also insists that there is no connection between the reform and Netanyahu's trial and rejects the claim that the judges appointed by the current government will be the ones to rule on the final appeal that Netanyahu will submit to the Supreme Court later today.

"These are really nonsense. Do I have a prophetic sense that made me deal with these issues 20 years ago because I knew they would file the lying cases against Netanyahu?! The reform does not touch these things. And another thing, the assumption that underlies this argument is that Netanyahu's trial will last 15 years, which is The period during which all Supreme Court judges change. If this is the case, then the judicial system is really sick."

Levin strongly attacks the heads of the judiciary for preventing any kind of change.

He defines the former president of the Supreme Court, Aharon Barak, as a politician.

"Those who saw his interviews saw a politician with a very extreme way of speaking. A man who pulled the political strings for years and dictated appointments in his image and likeness. The judicial system should not be cloned in which judges choose themselves."

Retired President of the Upper House of Mishpe Aharon Barak, photo: Oren Ben Hakon

Levin blames the heads of the judiciary for never themselves initiating the diversity of the court and even today they are trying to thwart it.

"Where have you been all these years? Why did you prevent any kind of discussion? Why didn't you bring a proposal for an amendment? Their way is to text and smear. They oppose everything. They just want to waste time like they did to Prof. Danny Friedman (when he was the Minister of Justice and initiated reforms - a "about).

Their goal is for all the legislation.

It won't happen to me," says the Minister of Justice.

Levin does not rule out changes to the proposal he made, not at all regarding the overcoming clause.

And in general he says that there will be changes in the reform as presented.

One of them, he confirms, is that the government intends to spread the legislative process of the reform over a longer period of time, so that, contrary to the initial plan, not all of its parts will be approved in the coming winter session.

"It may happen. These are technical things. Dividing the proposal into two or three parts will perhaps make it possible to finish its part faster. This thing has an advantage and importance because we do not want that due to a malfunction or an external event, we will find ourselves in a situation where we are unable to pass anything. If we succeed in passing a part Even in this session, it is welcome and important."

One of the most significant commitments that Levin makes in the conversation is that the court will continue to be strong and restrain the government, in cases of violation of human rights.

According to him, even after the reform, the court will be able to make powerful decisions, "as they were made in the first 50 years of the state".

As for the concerns that Israel is being singled out by the international community, Levin says that these claims are also baseless.

He accuses the opposition of trying to exert external pressure on the government.

"This is an internal Israel matter"

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Source: israelhayom

All news articles on 2023-02-07

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