Justice Minister Yariv Levine
In talks engaged by Justice Minister Yariv Levine with dozens of active Likud members at the beginning of this week, he spoke about steps he is planning against the judicial system. In a recording released by Walla, he is heard saying, "I am saying to the heads of the judicial system that if you are prepared to come to an agreement with me — I am all for it. But such an agreement will necessarily result in the entry of people who never before sat in the High Court like Dr. Bakshi and Dr. Biton."
Levine was relating to the possibility of the High Court refusing to cooperate. In that event, the High Court will be denied the power to operate. "In the future term, five judges are expected to be replaced. In short, nine new appointments out of fifteen. This will leave us with a simple choice: either such a situation where the court will disappear — or leaving six judges, which will not enable it to operate in any form, or with a very drastic change."
He expressed the hope that in the coming two and a half months, until the end of this Knesset's sitting, the Coalition will succeed in passing part of the Judicial Reform. "I pin great hopes that at least in the time remaining, we will truly succeed with supreme effort to finalize several important issues, including the completion of the Law of Police Investigations, the law of splitting the authority of the Government Judicial Advisor into three, and the Law in the High Court. We have a long list of things which relate to the system and are simply sitting in various steps or in legal committees, waiting for a vote in the plenum. I believe that these must be concentrated and brought to their final completion."
Levine continued to address the Likud activists. "I also wish to update you on another very vital issue which I have been trying for a long time to do. Perhaps finally, now that all the parties in the Coalition are voting together, we can hopefully swing it. This entails a vote on a bill presented to the Knesset plenum which will determine that all of the rulings of the High Court regarding annulling laws of fundamental nature can have no effect. All primary constitutional laws should be standing and in effect, and what has been annulled should be reinstated since its annulment was made without the proper authority."
The political system reacted to the recordings. Yair Golan, head of the Democrats, wrote: "Levine's threats regarding the drying up of the Court proves that he has not learned a thing. His attempt to crush Israeli democracy has failed in the past and will fail this time as well. The Israeli public has stopped it and will do so again."
MK Lezimi added, "Why is Levine not under arrest for undermining democracy, the High Court, and encouraging defiance against the court's rulings? How much hatred does Levine harbor against the State! He is prepared to toss it into the dust bin — all because he has a personal vendetta against the court.
