Amid boycott, Supreme Court chief says he still extends a hand toward Justice Minister Levin

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit says that he continues to extend a hand toward Justice Minister Yariv Levin, despite Levin’s continued boycott of the top judge.

“I am always extending a hand, with everything concerning the efficient funtioning of the legal system,” Amit tells the Kan public broadcaster. “But as I have already said, I have not seen a hand offered in return.”

“The ball is not in my court,” he says.

Asked about the refusal to recognize him as court president, Amit says: “We will continue on our way. I see the legal system like the health system. A legal system that offers services to the citizens, that provides an essential service.”

“That is my only consideration,” he says.

Levin’s boycott of Amit has been part of a wider judicial overhaul that has seen the government attempt to wrest power away from the courts in moves that have sparked large-scale public protests, with critics saying they are an attempt to break down the system of checks and balances and undermine democracy.

Levin stopped meeting with Amit’s predecessor Uzi  Vogelman in mid-2024, when Vogelman refused to accede to a demand from the justice minister to ditch the seniority system for appointing a president, whereby the Supreme Court justice with the most years on the court becomes the sole candidate for the position. The system is intended to prevent politicization of the selection process.

The justice minister then refused to call a vote in the Judicial Selection Committee for appointing a new president, since he did not have enough votes to appoint his preferred pick, Yosef Elron. This led the High Court of Justice to eventually order Levin to hold a vote in January this year after 16 months in which he had refused to do so.

Levin has boycotted Amit ever since, refuses to meet with him or address him as president, and has even failed to publish his appointment as president in the state gazette, as required by law.