Levin says he’ll let Supreme Court ‘disappear’ if his justice picks are not selected

Justice Minister Yariv Levin says that if the two hardline conservative academics he wants appointed to the Supreme Court do not get appointed, he will let the court “disappear” by refusing to make any new appointments to the top court at all.

Levin was responding to questions about the large number of vacancies on courts around the country, including the Supreme Court, in an interview with the Ynet news site.

The justice minister has refused to make appointments to the Supreme Court for the entire duration of his tenure, because he has lacked the votes on the Judicial Selection Committee to have Aviad Bakshi and Raphael Bitton appointed.

There are four vacancies on the Supreme Court at present, and that number will rise to nine by the end of the next Knesset if no new appointments are made.

“I insist that people who express a different worldview [than the current justices] enter the Supreme Court,” says Levin, accusing even the strong conservative judges on the court at present of judicial overreach.

“I’m not asking to determine all of the judges [on the Supreme Court]. Throughout the entire process I proposed compromise solutions,” insists Levin.

“I say the following to the judges and to the opposition members: there are currently four vacant seats on the Supreme Court, and in the next term another five justices will leave. Altogether there will be nine vacant seats. I support reaching an agreement and making appointments that will diversify the court; if there is willingness [to do so], all the better. If there is no willingness, the court will gradually disappear on its own.”

The deadlock on the Supreme Court could be resolved without such tactics in the next Knesset if Levin remains justice minister, since a controversial law passed by the government enabling both the coalition and opposition to force through the appointment of their desired candidates will come into effect.

That law itself will be reviewed by the Supreme Court in its capacity as the High Court of Justice.