Supreme Court: Deri must not remain Israel’s interior minister

Israeli Interior Minister Deri has been banned from office following a Supreme Court ruling. He was given a suspended sentence in 2022 for tax offenses. The verdict is seen as a serious blow to the new Netanyahu government.

The Supreme Court in Israel has barred the appointment of a member of the new government. The judges ruled that the chairman of the strictly religious Schas party, Arie Deri, cannot retain his post as Minister of the Interior and Health. They classified the appointment as “inappropriate”.

Civil rights activists had previously lodged a complaint about Deri’s criminal past. The verdict is seen as a serious blow to the new government of re-elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

New law: ministerial office despite a crime

Deri has been convicted several times: in 2000 he was sentenced to three years in prison for bribery, corruption and breach of trust – during his time as interior minister. In 2013 he made a political comeback. In 2021 he had to resign from his position as a member of parliament due to new tax offenses and was given probation as part of a settlement. He had assured the court that he wanted to get out of politics.

In order to be able to be appointed Minister of the Interior and Health in Benjamin Netanyahu’s new right-wing religious government in 2022, a law was specifically amended. It allows the assumption of a ministerial post despite having committed a crime – on condition that no prison sentence has been imposed. Later, Deri was to become finance minister under a rotation arrangement.

Government plans to weaken Supreme Court

As a result of the court ruling, there are now fears that the new justice minister, Jariv Levin, could move even faster with his plans to weaken the Supreme Court. In the past few weeks, tens of thousands of people in Israel have taken to the streets. Another large demonstration is planned in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

According to Levin’s plans, a majority in parliament should be able to pass a law in the future, even if the Supreme Court considers it to be in violation of the Basic Law. Levin also wants to change the composition of the panel that appoints judges. He accuses the Supreme Court of excessive interference in political decisions.