Retiring Arab Supreme Court justice urges greater equality, more Arab judges

Upon his retirement from the bench Thursday, Israel’s first permanent Supreme Court justice hailing from the Arab community, Salim Joubran, calls for greater efforts at integration and development for the country’s Arab minority — and for more Arab judges in the judiciary.

The debate among Jewish political factions “over the standing of the Arab minority have created a sense of persecution in the Arab community,” Joubran says at a farewell ceremony at the Supreme Court on Thursday morning, Haaretz reports. “The state must do more to reach real equality between Arab and Jewish societies.”

He also notes he was the only Arab justice on the 15-member court, and that as he leaves, the newly appointed George Kara will similarly be the lone Arab justice. He urges the appointment of two Arab justices simultaneously, and calls for more Arab lawyers to seek judicial appointments, noting that just eight percent of Israel’s judges are Arab.