Supreme Court president warns of physical violence against legal figures after vebal attacks

“The path to physical violence first passes through verbal violence,” Supreme Court President Isaac Amit told a special Israel Bar Association conference in Tel Aviv. The meeting followed the August 4 killing of attorney Arbel Feldman at his office in Rishon Lezion.

Amit said attacks on judges and lawyers do not occur in isolation. In his view, degrading public discussion about the judiciary can enter courtrooms and endanger the legal professionals working there. He warned that threats could discourage lawyers from taking controversial cases, meeting clients alone or representing them effectively.

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The path to physical violence first passes through verbal violence.

He said some courts had closed proceedings to the public and used live broadcasts because of concerns about disturbances. In more serious cases, security personnel escorted lawyers and litigants to their vehicles. Amit also cited a June riot outside the home of Deputy Supreme Court President Noam Sohlberg in Alon Shvut. Protesters damaged the house and Sohlberg’s car while family members were inside, and dozens of people were detained.

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An election campaign is, by nature, a period of disagreement, criticism, and struggle over ideas and the direction of the country.

The conference had originally been planned to open the legal year but was repurposed after Feldman’s death. Amit also referred to verbal attacks against senior magistrates in Jerusalem and Nazareth-Nof Hagalil, without identifying the speakers or their statements.

He said the election campaign placed an added responsibility on public figures. “An election campaign is, by nature, a period of disagreement, criticism, and struggle over ideas and the direction of the country,” he said. “But precisely during such a period, we all bear greater responsibility to act with restraint.” At the conference’s close, the Bar Association and five other professional organizations signed a charter called “Workers Without Fear.”

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But precisely during such a period, we all bear greater responsibility to act with restraint.