Levin pans Justice Amit’s allegations of smear campaign against him
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter

Justice Minister Yariv Levin castigates Acting Supreme Court President Isaac Amit over his accusation that an “organized smear campaign” is being conducted against him, in the wake of several media reports alleging misconduct by the judge.
Levin challenges Amit, who is seeking appointment as the permanent president of the court, to demonstrate proof of his charge, and says Amit’s allegation amounts to an accusation that a raft of journalists and news outlets banded together to besmirch him.
“Such an allegation has never been heard from a judge of your stature,” Levin says in a letter to Amit.
The justice minister also rejects Amit’s assertion that the reports against him are designed to make him “capitulate,” adding that Levin’s demand for an examination of “so many and such disturbing claims and publications is an obligation incumbent on those entrusted with appointment proceedings.”
Levin also dismisses Amit’s statement that the Judicial Selection Committee alone should evaluate the claims against him.
“Everyone who has the [legal] system’s best interests at heart, and everyone who cares about the integrity of public service recruitment procedures, wants to see that all reports and claims are thoroughly investigated,” concludes Levin.
Several media reports published in the last two weeks have alleged that Amit has served on cases in which he had a conflict of interest that he failed to report. Amit has argued that the allegations have ignored key facts regarding each case that he asserts preclude the possibility that he had a conflict of interest in them.
The Supreme Court, sitting in its capacity as the High Court of Justice, has ordered Levin to hold a vote on appointing a new court president, after 15 months in which he has refused to do so.