Deri: We won’t harm the High Court, we will ‘balance out’ powers

Shas leader Aryeh Deri, in an interview with Channel 13, pledges that right-wing political parties will not undermine the judiciary. He vows the court system will remain “strong.”

“Write this down: ‘No one will harm the High Court,'” says Deri, adding that such a move would cause “absolute lawlessness.”

“One thing we will do, which we haven’t managed to do until today, is to balance it out,” he says. “It can’t be the case that the Knesset will legislate laws… and the court knocks it down.”

He says the Knesset will seek to bypass the court on some laws, but “no one will harm the judges’ authority” on civil and criminal matters.

Deri pledges he will not back any Knesset laws that aim to help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu evade criminal prosecution. “Netanyahu doesn’t want this stain,” and will complete his criminal trial, says Deri.

Asked about the lack of female representation on his ultra-Orthodox party list, Deri claims Haredi women do not want to enter politics.