The minister concluded: “Rulings of the kind we have seen last week …help me understand that the judges I wish to see appointed are those able to recognize the governance domains, not only the black holes. It helps me understand how crucial it is that those who sit on the judges’ benches maintain the strength and prestige of the Supreme Court, but not for the price of weakening the ability of the Knesset and government to act on policy issues that do not encroach on human rights. Judges who trust the power of the people in selecting their representatives…”
Retired Supreme Court Justice Yitzhak Zamir attacked Shaked at the same conference, saying her job as Justice Minister is to defend the judiciary, not criticize it.
Aharon Barak himself stated, “The heart aches, wow, where have we arrived.”
Supreme Court Justice Elyakim Rubinstein said, “We will not be intimidated by threats. We’ll do our work as we should. The role of gate-keeper in democracy and the political system is most important. It doesn’t make it ‘judiciazation’ or imperialism.”
Former justice minister Tzipi Livni said, “Shaked stuck a political sword in the body of the court. That sword was raised not because of the gas outline but because the Supreme Court dares guard our values and our independence.”
The fact is that Israel’s judicial establishment is feeling attacked by the public and the media. The broad outcry over the attempt of the military prosecutors to charge with murder, then just manslaughter, the Hebron soldier who shot dead a neutralized terrorist; two new television documentary series that expose the supposedly shady workings of unprincipled state prosecutors; and Ayelet Shaked’s relentless efforts to push back the Barak transformation of the high court have caused the robed elite to circle the wagons. If you hear one of these days that police are investigating Shaked for this or that career-ending scandal, you’ll know everything is right with the old boys (and gals) network…