This blog posted previously about efforts by Land of Israel supporters to squash Appointment of 2 Judges, Sefi Elon and Uzi Fogelman, to Israel’s Supreme Court. The previous report focused on apparently pro-expulsion Judge Elon.
This post focuses primarily on Judge Fogelman and his alledged conflict of interest concerning Supreme Court President Judge Dorit Beinisch relating to Fogelman’s rejection of a petition filed by investigative reporter Yoav Yitzhak against Beinisch:
As Friday’s scheduled meeting of the Judicial Election Committee draws near, right-wing organizations and individuals are applying pressure to prevent the appointments of Beersheba District Court Judge Yosef “Sefi” Elon and Tel Aviv District Court Judge Uzi Fogelman…
These forces are pinning their hopes on the fact that the bloc of three right-wing politicians including Environment Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) and MKs David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu Party) and Uri Ariel (National Union Party) will prevent the appointment of the two candidates.
If the three right-wing members of the committee stick together as a group, Sefi Elon simply cannot become a judge and neither can other, better known, radical judges like Uzi Fogelman.”
In an attempt to block Fogelman from joining the Supreme Court, right-wing activist Shabtai Azriel wrote to Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz, demanding that he disqualify Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch from voting in the committee on Fogelman’s candidacy.
Azriel charged that Fogelman and Beinisch are involved in a conflict of interests that is tantamount to bribery. As a temporary Supreme Court justice, Fogelman wrote the decision rejecting a petition filed by investigative reporter Yoav Yitzhak against Beinisch. Azriel charged that Fogelman wrote the decision knowing that he needed Beinisch’s support to be elected to the Supreme Court.
Azriel added that extreme right-wing MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union Party) had asked Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman to disqualify Beinisch but that he refused to do so.
Commentary:
It is a sad state of affairs when organizations such as Mattot Arim need to mobilize voters in attempt to move politicians who proclaim themselves as supporters of Eretz Yisrael Shelanu. Such politicians, if truly supporters, would or should be strongly self-motivated regarding the Land of Israel. Ideally, Gilad Erdan should be so-motivated having been endorsed by Manhigut Yehudit in the Likud primaries. And David Rotem (Yisrael Beytenu MK) and Uri Ariel (National Union MK) surely ought to be so motivated considering that they each reached Knesset due to support of segments based on support for Eretz Yisrael. (MB)