Ex-justice minister Nissenkorn to protesters: ‘Our democracy is in danger’

Avi Nissenkorn, a former justice minister, tells anti-judicial overhaul protesters in Tel Aviv “our democracy is in danger.”

“It stands on the precipice of dictatorship. The safety and security net of democracy is you, the protest,” he says.

“The existential danger to democracy exists. The forces in the government that push for a messianic dictatorship work continuously, with zeal, through legislative initiatives and budget decisions to create a toxic public atmosphere and set the arena on fire to strengthen its dark ideology,” he says.

“The harm to the system of seniority in appointing the president of the Supreme Court fits into the goal of political control of the vote,” he says, commenting on a drama this week when Supreme Court Justice Yosef Elron submitted his candidacy to take over the role from retiring court chief Esther Hayut.

Nissenkorn warns Elron’s move challenges the independence of the court.

By submitting his candidacy, Elron was seen as already altering the existing system, and if selected, the conservative judge would be a possible ally to Justice Minister Yariv Levin — the architect of the judicial overhaul — on the Judicial Selection Committee. In the committee’s current composition, Elron is seen to have little to no chance of being chosen as president, but his candidacy is likely to be cited by overhaul advocates as ostensible evidence of the need to remake the judicial selection process.