Shaked hopes to make Supreme Court ‘more conservative’
Speaking at a conference organized by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth to celebrate 70 years of Israeli success, justice minister praises Israel as a ‘success story’, says she hopes to make appointments to the Supreme Court that will make it more 'conservative' and insists that her ministry fully grasps responsibility in Netanyahu probes.
Speaking at a conference in Jerusalem organized by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth to celebrate 70 years of Israeli success, the Bayit Yehudi minister also refused to “grade” the law-enforcement bodies on their handling of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption investigations.
You wanted to revolutionize the Justice Ministry. To what extent to you think you have done that?
“When I entered the Justice Ministry, I made the first goal for myself making changes to the justice system by appointing judges, As someone who heads a committee, I knew this is an extremely effective tool. I wanted to diversify the system and I think that on this aspect, after three years, together with all members of the committee, we absolutely carried out the task.”
Is the Supreme Court after your term a more right-wing court?
“It is a more mixed court, more conservative. I had an opportunity that I think no justice minister had. That is to be responsible for the appointment of 40 percent of the Supreme Court. Six judges out of 15. We absolutely put an emphasis on variety and changes.”
During your term, of all terms, the High Court of Justice intervenes more and more in legislation: The migrants law, home demolition in Netiv Ha'avot, taxes on a third property. Is it possible that the High Court is signaling something to you? Like, “Restrain yourselves and not us.”
“After I got to know the Supreme Court justices well, I think that their considerations are relevant. I don’t agree with them, I don’t think that their involvement in the law against infiltrators was unnecessary, or their involvement in property taxes, but their ruling was not motivated by extraneous considerations. They intervene because that’s what they think. I think differently and very much hope that after we have appointed six judges, this big aircraft carrier will tilt in a slightly different direction.”
What do you think of the police’s handling of the Netanyahu investigations?
“I don’t want to grade the police or the law-enforcement bodies. In my ministry, there is the attorney general and the state attorney and both of them are honest people. The attorney general, who in the end will need to make the decision, is a statesman and as straight as an arrow. He understands the responsibility that he has on his shoulders. He doesn’t concern himself with protests or headlines.”
When you hear the attacks by the prime minister on the law-enforcement bodies, why don’t you come out with a sharp statement against it?
“I don’t tell politicians how to express themselves. There is freedom of expression in the state and at the end of the day, the public must judge on the elections every politician, according to his deeds and behavior. I fully support the heads of the law-enforcement bodies in my ministry.”
Interviewed immediately after Shaked, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon (Kulanu) was asked about his recently passed 2019 state budget, his personal lifestyle, and how it compared with Netanyahu’s.
“Everyone has his own lifestyle. I personally don’t smoke or drink,” he said, before explaining his next goal is to reduce taxes, “but that will have to wait until after the holiday.”
Asked whether he saw himself as a candidate for the prime minister, he said that he was certainly capable.
“Being prime minister is a big job with responsibility. I think that every person needs to go into this job with reverence. I am no less qualified than anyone else. I I think that in terms of my political resume, I have done the most jobs, with modesty, for my mother, and I succeeded in all of them.”
