Former justice: 'I shall cut off the hand of one who limits power of the court'
Former Supreme Court Justice slams appointment of new Justice Minister Prof. Daniel Friedmann, a harsh critic of Supreme Court. Says combination of Friedmann and right-hand-man Boaz Okon will be 'acidic'
"He who raises his hand against my home – I shall cut off his hand." With these scathing words retired Supreme Court Justice Mishael Heshin warned newly appointed Justice Minister Prof. Daniel Friedmann against limiting the power of the Supreme Court.
"The Supreme Court is dear to me, I am part of it. So was my father and I shall not let anyone harm it. I will not allow any man to stand in the way of the court. Like a gladiator in the arena, so will be he who raises his hand against the Supreme Court.. and you know well how the battles of the gladiators came to an end," wrote Heshin in a personal letter to Friedmann.
In an Israel Radio interview, Heshin choked up as he said, "My father was a justice on the first Supreme Court and I followed. This is my home.
In the interview Heshin went on to say Friedmann is "an excellent man of law, no one disputes this, he is one of the very best. There are also others who are excellent, but Danny Friedmann has something the others do not. Recently he has mostly excelled at ceaselessly attacking the Supreme Court and singling out its president, Dorit Beinisch.
"He has been the harshest critic of the Supreme Court, using every tool of destruction, any explosives that are available (to him). Devastating personal attacks while at the same time debasing the court. Is this how Ehud Olmert seeks to calm the system?
"Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated that this appointment was meant to bring quiet to the system. Meant to quiet the system. Meant to maintain the honor of the Supreme Court, elevate the Supreme Court, restore trust in it – it would be an understatement to say these statements sound odd to my ears.
"Because if this is what the prime minister truly meant, meant in his heart what he said - how can it be that he chose Danny Friedmann? I do not understand it," he said.
'Friedmann and Okon will liquefy law and justice system'
Heshin also slammed the combination of Friedmann and Boaz Okon, who is expected to take over as director general of the ministry of justice, during his interview.
"If Friedmann continues on his declared path along with Boaz Okon… the two of them will be as Aqua Regia, an acid composed of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid which can melt virtually anything.
"The combination of a behind-the-scenes Boaz Okon and a front-stage Danny Friedmann can liquefy the entire law and justice system," he said.
