Ben Gvir accuses Supreme Court judge of siding with Israel’s enemies

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir accuses Supreme Court Justice Chaled Kabub of siding with Israel’s enemies, after the judge upheld a lower court’s decision to have a minor accused of identifying with ISIS be held under restrictive conditions with electronic monitoring instead of in prison.

“This is Chaled Kabub, a judge in the Supreme Court. He decided in the midst of a war to release a terrorist from prison who decided to join ISIS and carry out terror attacks,” writes Ben Gvir, head of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, which is highly antagonistic to Israel’s Arab citizens.

“Does anyone have any doubt on whose side he is in this war?” the minister charges.

The Judicial Authority, headed by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, strongly condemns Ben Gvir’s comments, saying that “personal attacks on a judge for implementing the law cross a red line and harm the rule of law.”

The Judicial Authority also opines that it doubted “those attacking the judge” actually read Kabub’s ruling, which it points out is based on an explicit law stipulating that imprisoning minors must be a last resort.

“The court did not downplay the seriousness of the acts, but acted in accordance with the law and binding rulings. Courts act according to the law, even when the decisions are unpopular,” the Judicial Authority insists in a rebuke to Ben Gvir.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara also slams Ben Gvir’s comments, saying that she “condemns the attacks by ministers on Supreme Court Justice the honorable Judge Kabub and the ongoing attacks on Supreme Court decisions.”