Supreme Court Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit delivered an unusually sharp rebuke of Justice Minister Yariv Levin on Thursday, accusing him of leading a “broad campaign to undermine judicial independence” as part of efforts to revive elements of the government’s judicial overhaul.

Speaking at a conference on public law and democracy in Haifa, Amit said that anyone claiming that the lack of 17 needed judges does not harm citizens “either does not understand the enormous burden on the court system, or that serving the citizen simply does not interest him.”

Amit charged that for a year and a half, Levin has been boycotting the judicial system, including refusing to meet or cooperate with the Supreme Court President, thereby “boycotting the Israeli public that turns to the courts.”

“Attempts to Disrupt Hearings”

Amit also addressed recent disruptions during High Court hearings, calling them an “unprecedented phenomenon” of organized attempts to derail courtroom proceedings.

“The court exists for the public,” he stressed. “When disturbances disrupt the ability to hear the parties’ arguments, the harm is not to the judges but to the public and to the litigants seeking justice.”

Aharon Barak: Israel Slipping Into “Authoritarian Rule 

Former Supreme Court President Aharon Barak issued a stark warning, arguing that Israel faces two dangerous trends: the government taking over the Knesset and the prime minister taking over the government.

“When you combine these phenomena,” Barak said, “we reach the bottom of deterioration – an authoritarian regime of sole rule.”

According to Barak, the prime minister increasingly views himself as entitled to instruct the executive branch in all arenas, while protesters are treated “as criminals.”
“We are no longer citizens, but subjects,” he declared.

Barak: Government Aims to “Take Over Judges”

Barak said that efforts to appoint judges “like us” severely undermine judicial independence. “Harming Yitzhak Amit is harming the entire judiciary,” he said, urging Amit to “be strong and courageous.”

Barak also lamented that the Declaration of Independence no longer expresses shared values, pointing to discrimination against Arab citizens and deepening societal divisions.
“We are no longer a state whose values are Jewish and democratic,” he warned.

Former Deputy Supreme Court President Uzi Fogelman attacked the government proposal to split the role of the Attorney General, calling it part of “ongoing erosion of the status of public servants.”

He said the move aligns with political narratives portraying the professional bureaucracy as a “deep state,” while delegitimization campaigns against the courts, especially the Supreme Court president, “deeply harm democratic balances.”

Levin Fires Back

Justice Minister Yariv Levin issued a blistering response to Amit and the former justices, accusing them of placing themselves “above the law” and blocking parliamentary oversight.

“For over two years, you have prevented the Intelligence Committee from acting, and now you are doing the same to prevent an investigation into the Magistrate’s affair,” Levin said.
“You are leading a culture of ‘close it for me, and I will close it for you.’”

“I Am Dismantling the System You Built”

Levin vowed to continue restructuring the judiciary:
“I am truly dismantling — dismantling brick by brick the fortress of lies that you and your friends sit in, and rebuilding the judicial system as it was in its heyday.”

He offered what he described as a compromise: “Respect democracy, and I will be the first to respect you.”