Speaking at judicial ceremony, Levin refuses to even acknowledge Supreme Court president

Justice Minister Yariv Levin lauds the achievements of the Judicial Selection Committee under his chairmanship in appointing what he says is a record 196 judges to all courts across the country, apart from the Supreme Court, in one year.

Speaking at a swearing-in ceremony for the new Supreme Court deputy president and 35 new judges and court registrars, Levin fails to acknowledge Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, whom he has boycotted since he was sworn in in February, and who called on the justice minister in the same ceremony to end his boycott.

Addressing President Isaac Herzog and “distinguished guests,” Levin says the large number of judicial appointments came about because of his insistence on reaching broad agreement within the Judicial Selection Committee.

The justice minister also expresses pride in the diversity of the judges appointed to the courts.

“Judges and registrars from the center [of the country] and the periphery, Jews, Muslims, Druze, Christians, religious and non-religious, older, younger, women and men, city folk and those from the country. A diverse and quality human mosaic like none other. When we talk about strengthening the justice system this is the true way to do it,” says the justice minister.

Levin says that such appointments are the best way to “restore public faith in the legal system,” while also extolling recent legislation he pushed through the Knesset to give politicians more control over judicial appointments.