High Court of Justice: Minister Aryeh Deri cannot serve as a minister in the Israeli government

The High Court of Justice has ruled that Minister Aryeh Deri cannot serve as a minister in the Israeli government. The verdict in his case was received by a majority of 10 judges from the 11 panel judges of the Supreme Court.
The verdict in Deri's case, eight 134 pages, was published at noon. 10 Supreme Court Justices expressed support for Deri's disqualification from serving as minister, including those considered conservatives such as David Mintz and Alex Stein. Another judge, Yosef Elron, was the only one who was in a minority opinion. According to the judges, Deri's appointment as minister is extremely unlikely - and therefore should be annulled.
Deri's disqualification at the High Court - against the background of the legal revolution of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Justice Yariv Levin - was due to two reasons: his backlog of criminal convictions, which also includes a conviction for tax offenses from February 2022, according to Deri's admission as part of a plea deal; and due to the presentation that Deri presented to the Magistrate's Court that sentenced him for these offenses, according to which he retires from political life, and his conduct thereafter.
Some of the judges of the panel believed that in view of this misrepresentation, which they said affected the results of the criminal proceedings regarding the tax offenses, Deri Motor Malkhan is kosher. As mentioned, Judge Elron was of the same opinion, and believed that Deri's appointment should be left intact, but that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should contact the Chairman of the Election Commission so that he can determine whether the tax offenses for which Deri was convicted are due to defamation.
The chairman of Shas, Aryeh Deri, reacted for the first time this evening to the High Court's ruling that he will not be able to serve as a minister and said that he was actually happy - but refused to address the substance of the matter. "When I heard the decision, not that it was unexpected, I was happy" , Deri said in a statement to the media, after refusing to speak when he left his house. "There is no joy like allowing doubts. It's good that they said their word and it's good that it ended this way, 10 against 1. The people will judge and see."
Deri added: "I pledge to continue the revolution that our rabbis started with more strength and more force. If they close the door for us, we will enter through the window. If they close the window for us, we will break through the ceiling, with God's help. I thank all the genius rabbis who came to Hezk, as well as the Prime Minister and the ministers And all the important people. It really strengthens and encourages."
"I will not go into the body of the issue now, I will still have time to express myself," added Deri. "I deliberately, from my experience already from the past, do not want to make mistakes that I once made, perhaps when I was younger. We will not talk now when our hearts are warmer. With God's help, we will get together again - today, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, it doesn't matter - and we will sit and think in our minds what our steps will be I ask not to be interviewed or to express myself. Probably tomorrow we will sit down and we will talk."
However, Deri added: "I just wanted the friends to know one thing - last week we accompanied the elder member of the Council of Torah Sages, Rabbi Abdani Zatzuk'l, and it was very difficult for me to speak at the funeral. I repeat what I said and promised there before thousands of the people of Israel: we will continue the revolution they started with more strength and more strength. No matter in what form we do it, we are obliged to our three deceased leaders to continue the path on which they gave their lives, for the sake of our entire public. We don't have the luxury of thinking personal thoughts. This is our mission and we will do it with all our strength. They will close the door on us, we will enter through the window. They will close the window for us, we will break through the ceiling, with God's help."
Earlier, during the demonstration of support for Deri's victory outside his home, incendiary chants against the High Court were also heard - among them by Avshalom (Abarsha) Ohion, a Shas activist close to the chairman. "Tz on the loudspeakers outside Deri's house, and received shouts of support from the crowd that had gathered. "The same ones who murdered our ancestors. We will not be silent. With God's help, the will of the people will finally come to safety. You have had enough of the corrupt Benaves."
When Deri left the house this evening for the first time since the verdict, in favor of participating in his neighbor's funeral, he received chants of "he is entitled", and the crowds gathered around him and cheered. Deri left the house while marking the Shas symbol with his fingers, but did not say a word when he got into the car. Shortly before that, the Shas Torah Council of Sages also published a response to the decision - with a blessing quote from the standing prayer, in which God is asked to correct the system the trial "We are sure that our nobles will stand in heaven and pray for their life's work and for their faithful successor, and that our judges will return to us as the first and our counselors as at the beginning and remove from him the trouble of grief and sighing soon," it was said.
After Deri's disqualification, a "pilgrimage" began to Deri's house in Jerusalem. Around 150 people gathered outside the house to chant in support of Derai, and at the same time politicians arrived - including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Shas Knesset members, as well as government ministers such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Communications Minister Shlomo Karai, and Minister Meir Poroosh. Rabbis, as well arrived at Deri's house and expressed their support for him despite the High Court's decision.