Ohana snubs Supreme Court president at Knesset’s opening session, sparking turmoil

The opening of the Knesset’s 2025 winter legislative session descended into an acrimonious fight over the government’s judicial overhaul agenda on Monday evening, after Speaker Amir Ohana acknowledged Supreme Court President Isaac Amit merely as a justice, rather than as the court’s president.

President Isaac Herzog, in his own address, quickly put Ohana straight, welcoming Amit as “the president of the Supreme Court” and protesting the disrespect.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in soon after, acknowledging that Amit is indeed the president of the top court, but also reminding Herzog that he is Israel’s prime minister and stressing that this, too, must be recognized by all sides.

Ohana’s slight prompted angry yelling by opposition lawmakers, leading to several being ejected from the chamber by Knesset ushers. As he was dragged out, Labor MK Gilad Kariv repeatedly yelled out Amit’s title, pointing his finger at Ohana and screaming that the Knesset speaker was “a disgrace.”

Ohana’s decision to snub Amit came as the government is seeking to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and as Justice Minister Yariv Levin refuses to recognize Amit’s authority as chief justice, with the coalition continuing to push to curb the powers of the courts as part of its judicial overhaul plans.

Ohana did not invite either Amit or Baharav-Miara to last week’s speech by US President Donald Trump, prompting harsh criticism from Herzog and lawmakers.

MKs Gilad Kariv and Naor Shiri removed from the Knesset plenum pic.twitter.com/0c837iAqDL

— Sam Sokol (@SamuelSokol) October 20, 2025

Addressing lawmakers on Monday, Ohana claimed that voters’ democratic power is “being eroded… because of the conduct of the judicial system.”

“We want with all our hearts for Israel to be a state governed by the rule of law and this house represents that more than anything. But the rule of law, not the rule of jurists,” he said.

“We are open to dialogue with the judicial system, which until now has refused to engage in discussion or to agree even to the most moderate compromises,” Ohana insisted — slamming the court’s January 2024 ruling striking down a quasi-constitutional Basic Law, which formed a key part of the government’s overhaul agenda.

The court’s decision caused “harm to Israeli democracy, to the Knesset, to the people’s elected representatives, and, more gravely, to the public that chose them,” he argued.

Addressing lawmakers after Ohana, Herzog pointedly referred to Amit by his proper title, sparking cheers and clapping from opposition MKs.

Directly addressing Amit, who was sitting in the Knesset gallery, Herzog said: “I am saying to you, Mr. President, president of the Supreme Court, I cordially welcome you.”

“I had a long, pragmatic speech prepared, but this is a very, very significant moment in our national life, and my heart is bleeding,” said Herzog, departing from his prepared remarks.

The president said that his heart was “bleeding because there is a difference between a principled debate, which is certainly legitimate and includes legitimate opinions, and sheer discourtesy, disrespect for human dignity, disrespect toward institutions and other branches of government, and disrespect toward the judges of Israel.”

Announcing that he would “give a voice to the judges of Israel,” Herzog called on lawmakers to pass a Basic Law: Legislation and demanded “that everyone sit down and talk,” even if it is “harder than hell itself, because everyone fears what their so-called ‘base’ will say.”

Addressing the Knesset after Herzog, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid likewise made a point of addressing Amit by his title, while referring to Ohana as “speaker of only half the Knesset.”

Ohana “has learned nothing in the past two years,” Lapid posted on X during the plenum session. “He is forcefully taking us back to division and destructive rupture and to the days that preceded the disaster of October 7.”

In his own speech following Lapid, Netanyahu responded to Herzog’s criticism of Ohana, saying he agreed with the president: “Isaac Amit is the president of the Supreme Court,” declared Netanyahu, with Herzog sitting next to the lectern. “That’s a fact.”

“But I am the prime minister of Israel, and these are ministers in the government of Israel,” he went on, to applause from the coalition and shouts of protests from across the aisle. “That’s a fact. And that is the speaker of Israel’s Knesset, and these are the members of Israel’s Knesset, and that is also a fact.”

“These facts must be recognized by all sides, and not just by one side. That’s what is needed here, Mr. President,” said the prime minister.

As Netanyahu returned to his seat, Levin reportedly upbraided the prime minister: “Amit is not the president of the Supreme Court. It’s not okay that you recognized him as such.”

Lazar Berman contributed to this report.