Justice Minister Yariv Levin vowed that a right-wing victory in the upcoming elections would bring about a fundamentally different judicial system in Israel, including changes to the composition of the Supreme Court, in remarks highlighted on Tuesday following a Sovereignty Movement conference in Jerusalem.
Speaking at the "Law and Governance in the Land of Israel" conference, held at the Gvura Forum's protest tent in Jerusalem, Levin described the October 27 elections as a historic opportunity to advance the judicial overhaul he has championed since the formation of the current government.
"If the Right wins the elections, there will be different Supreme Court justices in the next term, a different judicial system," Levin said, according to remarks circulated from the conference.
Levin argued that the upcoming elections would determine whether the next government could fundamentally reshape the Supreme Court, claiming that the anticipated turnover of justices would create an opportunity to change its ideological composition.
"In the upcoming elections, we will be in a situation where two-thirds of the Supreme Court justices are being replaced," Levin said. "The question here is whether we will be in a position to fundamentally change the Supreme Court or not."
The justice minister characterized the election as particularly significant for Israel's security, national identity, immigration policy, and judicial system, saying the stakes went beyond the usual political contest.
"People say that every election is fateful, and they certainly are, but I think this election is truly historic," he said.
Levin accuses judicial establishment of blocking conservative appointments
Levin accused the existing judicial establishment of preventing candidates with different ideological views from entering the judiciary, arguing that the appointment system had long protected entrenched political interests.
"The judicial system held veto power that prevented people who think differently from entering the system. These appointments were blocked," he said.
"Unlike my predecessors, I was unwilling to compromise on this point or appoint judges while telling the public that they were conservatives, only for it to turn out that they were not."
Levin said that approximately one-third of the judges appointed across Israel's courts during the current government's term had been appointed under his leadership, but claimed that resistance to change remained particularly strong at the Supreme Court.
"These are judges who would never have had a chance of entering the system, and the struggle was not easy," he said.
The remarks come amid a prolonged confrontation between Levin and the judiciary over judicial appointments. In June, the High Court of Justice ordered Levin to convene the Judicial Selection Committee, following an extended period of delays in judicial appointments.
The dispute has also involved Supreme Court President Isaac Amit. In a separate ruling in June, the High Court ordered Levin to cooperate with Amit on appointments and other administrative matters requiring their joint involvement.
In September, 79 judges and senior court registrars were sworn in following an 18-month freeze in judicial selections. However, the Supreme Court continued to operate with only 11 of its 15 authorized justices.
The dispute also concerns legislation passed in March 2025 that changes the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee beginning with the next Knesset. Supporters argue that the legislation will make judicial appointments more representative, while opponents, including Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, have warned that it could undermine judicial independence by increasing political influence over the selection process.
Levin points to security appointments as evidence of change
During his speech, Levin also pointed to senior security appointments as evidence that government pressure and public scrutiny could bring about changes in institutions he described as dominated by the political Left.
He cited the appointment of Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Director David Zini, claiming that earlier candidates had reflected the preferences of Israel's protest movement.
Levin argued that similar changes had occurred in the appointment of the Mossad chief and other senior officials.
He traced the confrontation over the judiciary to the beginning of the government's term, when he first presented his judicial overhaul proposals.
"Four years ago, just days after the government was formed, I presented the plan to change Israel's judicial system," he said.
Levin claimed that the proposals had exposed what he described as the Left's control over Israel's centers of power, accusing opponents of the reforms of seeking to protect their institutional influence.
The justice minister said he believed that further changes were achievable despite the resistance his proposals had encountered.
"Some say it is not possible, but I completely reject that," he said.
Levin concluded by promising to continue his campaign to reshape the judiciary, saying his goal was a legal system that respected both judges' responsibilities and elected representatives' authority.
"A system worthy of a Jewish state, worthy of a democratic state. Judges who respect their role, but also the role of the Knesset and the citizens of Israel," he said.
"I will not give up until I finish doing justice."
The conference was organized by the Sovereignty Movement, whose co-chairwomen, Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar, opened the event by emphasizing what they described as the connection between Israeli sovereignty, Jewish identity, and the legal system.
They argued that the establishment of Israeli sovereignty required more than territorial control and political institutions, calling for a justice system reflecting the country's Jewish values and national character.