Far-right MK: Justice officials who go after soldiers will be ‘prosecuted as traitors’
Limor Son Har-Melech makes threat at rally for soldiers arrested on suspicion of abusing Gaza detainee; Justice Minister Levin insists judiciary’s ‘excess power’ must be curbed
In a grim threat to judicial officials, far-right MK Limor Son Har-Melech said Thursday that any who prosecute Israeli soldiers for alleged criminal acts during the war in Gaza will themselves be “charged and prosecuted as the lowest of traitors.”
Eight reserve soldiers are currently being held on suspicion of sexually abusing a Gaza detainee. The reservists were arrested by masked Military Police detectives at the Sde Teiman base in southern Israel on Monday.
After the arrests, a mob of far-right activists and lawmakers broke into the base and demonstrated, and later stormed the Beit Lid base where the suspects were being held and questioned.
Speaking at a right-wing rally in support of the arrested soldiers on Thursday evening which appeared to include several dozen protesters, Son Har-Melech said she was there to “protect our soldiers” from Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi.
“Our soldiers have enemies abroad who need to be fought, but also enemies at home,” she declared. “Whoever dares lay a hand on our soldiers will be charged and prosecuted as the lowest of traitors.”
Her comments were met with cheers from the crowd and calls to send Tomer-Yerushalmi to prison.
According to the IDF, the soldiers are suspected of aggravated sodomy (a charge equivalent to rape), causing bodily harm under aggravated circumstances, abuse under aggravated circumstances and conduct unbecoming of a soldier. The investigation into the soldiers was launched after a detained terror suspect was brought from Sde Teiman to a hospital with signs of serious abuse, including to his anus. He had been arrested by the IDF in the Gaza Strip several weeks ago.
Son Har-Melech was not the only far-right MK to pledge support to the soldiers. A number of MKs and even government ministers took part in the riots at the IDF bases earlier this week.
Levin revives overhaul call
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yariv Levin courted controversy by saying the government’s judicial overhaul agenda to weaken the legal system, which he tried to steamroll through Knesset last year before the October 7 attacks, needed to be brought back and that “foundational change” was needed in the justice system.
Speaking to a conference organized by the hard-right Tekuma Movement, Levin said the need for such change had been made particularly clear in the last few days, in apparent reference to the arrest of the soldiers.
Levin also said the need for a judicial overhaul was especially acute in relation to senior appointments. He spoke of the need to weaken what he said was the judiciary’s “excess power” over them, apparently in reference to vacant spots on the Supreme Court which he has refused to fill since last year due to lacking a majority for his preferred candidates the Judicial Selection Committee.
“At this time, it is right to make an effort to act in this field with as broad an agreement as possible,” he continued, lambasting efforts to “force through appointments and decisions, while abusing the excess power that the justice system has today.”
“This is not democracy, and this is not the required responsibility at a time of war. Many people understand better today the need for deep change in the justice system, and the obligation to open it up to all communities in Israeli society,” he said.
Levin was heckled during his address, the Haaretz daily reported, by a protester who called out, “You promise a full right-wing [government], full security – and you brought the full destruction of the State of Israel.” In response, Levin said he had learned lessons from the frequent anti-overhaul demonstrations outside his home, and added: “Nothing will deflect me” from his determination to overhaul the judiciary.
Levin’s judicial overhaul agenda broke open huge schisms in Israeli society and led to massive protests against the government.
The overhaul agenda has been frozen since October 7, after sharply dividing Israeli society last year, and is unlikely to be picked up again by the government anytime soon as it focuses on military conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.
