Supreme Court chief blames public officials’ rhetoric for rise in attacks on judges, lawyers

Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said on Wednesday that recent violence against lawyers and judges has been fueled by “verbal violence” against legal professionals by public officials and on social media.

Amit made his comments during an “emergency conference” held by the Israel Bar Association to combat violence against lawyers and legal professionals in the wake of the recent murder of attorney Arbel Feldman by a client.

“Sadly, it appears that this incident is part of a broader phenomenon that has emerged in recent times, in which we have witnessed violence — both verbal and physical — directed at lawyers and legal professionals solely because they are carrying out their duties,” Amit said.

He referenced a riot by ultra-Orthodox men at the home of Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Sohlberg in June, saying the attack was designed to deter Sohlberg from carrying out his duties, and pointing to recent verbal attacks against other judges as well.

The June 3 riot at Sohlberg’s home in the West Bank settlement of Alon Shvut saw ultra-Orthodox anti-draft protesters smash windows and flowerpots and damage a vehicle while Sohlberg and members of his family were inside. Police detained 62 suspects. Amit said at the time that the rampage constituted “an attack on the entire judicial system and on the rule of law in the State of Israel.”

“The line was crossed between protest, however harsh, and an attempt to harm the security and sense of security of a judge and his family, and to deter him from carrying out his duties,” Amit said. “This crossed a red line.”

“Sadly, it seems that media attacks on judges over rulings they have issued are becoming routine,” Amit continued.

He warned that threats against lawyers could have consequences beyond the individuals targeted, deterring attorneys from taking complex or unpopular cases or even meeting clients alone.

“When lawyers are afraid to perform their duties, when they think twice before taking a new case or meeting alone with a client, every citizen’s ability to obtain effective representation is harmed,” he said, adding that the cumulative effect was a weakening of the protection of individual rights.

Hebrew media reported earlier this week that Police Commissioner Daniel Levy ordered Sohlberg’s security detail to be bolstered after being briefed on new threats against the judge, who is also the chair of the Central Elections Committee.

“Violence against lawyers and judges does not grow in a vacuum; the road to physical violence first passes through verbal violence. And if you wish to know the soil in which the seeds of violence against the justice system are sown, look to the statements of public figures, turn to social media — and there you will find the answer,” said the Supreme Court president.

Amit said concerns over violence had in some cases forced courts to close their doors to the public and instead make proceedings available by live video.

“In more extreme cases, we were even forced to instruct the Court Guard to escort litigants and lawyers to their vehicles, for fear they would be harmed inside the courthouse,” he said.

“The law must be fully enforced against those who use violence or make threats against legal professionals,” Amit said.

Amit had sounded a similar warning at a Bar Association conference in June, saying that false information about the judiciary could pave the way for rejection of court rulings and, ultimately, violence. “The spread of fake [information] is a direct danger to democracy and social cohesion,” he said at the time.

In December last year, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called Amit a “violent megalomaniac” and vowed to “trample him,” while Justice Minister Yariv Levin called the Supreme Court justices “common dictators.” Cabinet ministers have used similarly harsh language in the wake of rulings unfavorable to the government.

Amit added in his speech that during the current election campaign, “we all bear a heightened responsibility to act with moderation, choose our words carefully, and conduct substantive and respectful discourse.”

The threats have prompted concern even among government figures who are deeply critical of the court. In January, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that despite his serious disagreements with Amit, “nobody should dare to touch a hair on his head.”