Israeli Justice Minister Levin Seeks Passage of Judicial Control Bill Despite Public Backlash
Justice Minister Yariv Levin has reignited efforts to pass a contentious judicial reform bill that would give the coalition majority control over judicial appointments, including the selection of Israel’s Supreme Court president. Levin declared during a ministerial meeting Sunday that “the time has come” to advance the legislation, citing an impending High Court deadline of January 16 to hold a vote on electing a new court president.
Levin’s remarks came during discussions on a separate bill proposed by Likud MK Tali Gotliv, which seeks to transfer the authority to elect the Supreme Court president from the Judicial Selection Committee to the Knesset plenum. Levin opposed Gotliv’s proposal, arguing it conflicted with his broader judicial reform agenda, which already passed several legislative hurdles in 2023 but was suspended after mass protests.
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Critics, including the Attorney General’s Office, warned that Gotliv’s bill undermines judicial independence and democratic principles. The Ministerial Committee for Legislation delayed a decision on the bill by two weeks, leaving Levin’s reform plan as the more viable option due to its prior legislative progress.
Levin faces internal opposition within the cabinet, with some ministers cautioning against advancing such divisive legislation while Israel remains at war. Despite this, Levin has scheduled Judicial Selection Committee meetings this week to review objections from the public regarding nominations for the Supreme Court presidency.
