Yitzhak Amit, the controversial Supreme Court President, recently held an open discussion with high school students, during which he was asked pointed questions about the power of the High Court, the complex relationship between the judiciary and the legislature, and other current issues.
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A recording of the meeting revealed inChannel 14 Tonight (Thursday) presents Amit's positions on burning issues.
During the conversation, the students did not hesitate to bring up the Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar affair. From the discussion, it appears that Amit focused on the procedural and legal aspects of the case.
He also addressed legal reform at length, explaining to the students the reasons for his staunch opposition. Amit expressed concern that the Supreme Court has been "greatly weakened," he claimed, following recent moves.
Another central point in his remarks concerned the relationship between the Supreme Court and the Knesset. Amit emphasized that in situations of deep disagreement between the two branches, he believes that "ultimately, the authority, of course, should remain in the hands of the judges," a statement that reflects Amit's perception of the Supreme Court's place above democracy.
Continuing his remarks, Amit insisted that the "final say" in the country must remain in the hands of the Supreme Court, and compared the role of judges to that of a referee in a football game: "But by the way, it's not so shocking that in certain things, as of today, the court has the final say. Even in a football game, the referee rules, there's nothing to be done. And then there's 'who will judge the judges,' 'who will guard the guards,' all these clichés. But that's perfectly fine, it's part of the rules of the game.".
Minister of Communications Shlomo Kerei He reacted sharply on his X account: "Judge Yitzhak Amit's outrageous statement, according to which the High Court of Justice is the 'last word' - like a football referee who whistles and decides - is nothing less than a declaration of a judicial coup. This is an attempt to impose on Israel a regime in which judges appoint themselves, establish absolute authority for themselves, and ignore the true sovereign - the people.".
Kari added: "If the State of Israel is a soccer field, then Yitzhak Amit is a referee who scores goals for the team he supports, invents rules during the game, and whistles imaginary penalties. A real soccer referee adheres to the rules that were set for him - he does not invent them during the game. In a democratic country, the referee does not determine the result - he enforces the rules that the elected officials determine.".
"Now that we understand the idea of the dictatorial order behind the High Court hearings, we must wake up. In a free country, the 'last word' belongs to the people and their elected officials - not to judges who did not receive even one ballot. Say 'no' to a colleague and his friends. This is the order of the hour. This is democracy.".
Member of Knesset Ariel Kellner From the Likud, he responded: "What's good about Yitzhak Amit is that you accept the dictatorship straight in the face without masks.".
According to him, "Yitzhak Amit is no longer hiding. He doesn't wrap things up, doesn't talk about 'checks and balances,' doesn't cover them up with the mantle of 'human rights' or the 'rule of law,'" Kellner claimed. "He simply says it like it is: the last word belongs to the judges.".
According to the MK, the judge does not even moderate his remarks, but says them openly in front of high school students, while using the "ridiculous" image of a soccer referee. "Have the students, some of whom are certainly familiar with the game, ever heard of a soccer referee who does not judge according to the rules and who rules out rules he does not like for 'substantive' reasons?""
The MK then continued: "Would the students continue to trust the game when they know that every decision depends on the whim of the judge, who is both the legislator and decides that the laws apply whenever he wants and only to whomever he wants? In simple words: Amit thinks he is above us. Above the Knesset. Above the government. Above the people. Why? Like this! Because he decided like this.
""So how good it is to see the truth: this is not a democracy. This is a judicial oligarchy. A court that is not elected by the people, that is not subject to the law and that sees itself as having the final say, is a tyrant.".
""We have an obligation to stop this tyranny. And even if the road is long, in the end the legal tyranny will come to an end. We will not stop!""
