1.8 Active May 12, 2026
Bill to Change the Composition of the Judicial Selection Committee
✍️ Submitted by: רמי בליטנטל
🤝 1 supporters
📖 Background
Current situation: The committee is composed of 9 members and requires the support of at least 7 of them in order to approve the appointment of a judge, including Supreme Court justices.
Current committee members: The Minister of Justice (Chair), an additional minister, 2 MKs (traditionally 1 from the opposition, though under Netanyahu governments this practice was deviated from), the President of the Supreme Court and two additional judges, 2 representatives of the Israel Bar Association.
What to do: The legal reform proposal, which would transfer control of the judiciary to members of the executive branch who also hold the majority in the legislative branch, must be rejected.
What needs to be changed: Court staffing positions must be increased and judges appointed as soon as possible.
The objective: To put an end to the miscarriage of justice resulting from the protracted duration of legal proceedings in Israel, which spans years.
📝 Bill – Amendment to Basic Law: The Judiciary:
The Committee for the Selection of Supreme Court Judges will include 11 members: 3 judges (the President of the Supreme Court and two Supreme Court justices elected by their fellow judges), 3 ministers (one of whom is the Minister of Justice), 3 coalition MKs and two opposition MKs.
The bill seeks to change the majority required for appointing judges to a simple majority (6 committee members), meaning transferring full control over the appointment of judges to whoever controls the coalition, without requiring the consent of opposition representatives, and removing public representatives on behalf of the Israel Bar Association as members of the committee.
✅ For (1)
- + The proposers of the bill view the Knesset elections as a mandate for appointing judges to the courts, based on the perception that adjudication should be carried out in accordance with the "will of the people," which finds expression in the Knesset elections.
⚠️ Against (1)
- − The appointment of High Court judges depends on the ruling parties, serving as a job arrangement for associates rather than professional expertise. Concern over trial bias. The existing system has created a blockade on the possibility of alliances between committee members for the purpose of appointing judges. In fact, under the existing system, it is impossible to appoint a judge without the consent of the coalition, or the judges, or the public representatives on behalf of the Israel Bar Association. Only the opposition lacks such influence.