Israeli minister sparks outrage with threat against supreme court chief

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has drawn sharp criticism for threatening Supreme Court Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit, in a statement perceived as a direct act of violence, escalating tensions between the executive and judicial branches. 

Judges and business leaders immediately voiced concern over the safety of Amit and the judicial system as a whole, Caliber.Az reports via Bloomberg.

According to the outlet, 143 judges—including all living former Supreme Court chiefs—published an open letter warning that actions by certain government members threaten the country’s democratic principles. The letter also called on law enforcement to ensure the safety of Amit and other judges.

The controversy began after Smotrich, while criticising the judiciary, said he was ready to run over the chief justice with a car, a remark widely interpreted as a threat. Despite backlash, the minister refused to apologise, claiming no softer words could express his stance on the court’s actions.

Israel’s business community also condemned Smotrich’s rhetoric. Leaders of major companies in the Tel Aviv 35 index warned that such statements cross “every possible red line” and could damage Israel’s international reputation, raising concerns about perceptions by global rating agencies amid recent sovereign credit downgrades.

The Israeli judiciary has traditionally acted as a check on government power. Recent Supreme Court rulings—including overturning the removal of the attorney general, blocking the appointment of a new civil service commissioner, and suspending budget allocations to ultra-Orthodox schools—have drawn criticism from the government, especially after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to office.

Government efforts to limit judicial authority, which previously sparked mass protests in 2023, have intensified ahead of this year’s parliamentary elections.

By Jeyhun Aghazada