The End of Democracy Day – A Column by Professor Moshe Cohen Ilia

The End of Democracy Day – A Column by Professor Moshe Cohen Ilia

I Accuse

I write these words on the day that Yitzhak Amit was anointed by his juristocracy peers in a ceremonial event at the residence of the President of Israel, assuming the position of President of the Supreme Court.

I accuse Aharon Barak, who constructed Israel’s juristocracy over 28 years and, as a strategic and determined player, transferred unprecedented powers—without any mandate—from the elected representatives of the people to the judges. He continues to operate behind the scenes as the de facto Rebbe of the juristocracy (the rule of judges).

I accuse Esther Hayut, who, in her ambition to surpass Barak, pushed an unprecedentedly swift judicial process solely so that she and her colleague Anat Baron could sign the ruling on the “reasonableness” doctrine, a decision that formally shifts Israel’s regime from a democracy to a juristocracy.

I accuse Yitzhak Amit, whose arrogance knows no bounds, and who, despite being engulfed in conflicts of interest from every direction, orchestrated a corrupt judicial concert—thanks in part to a panel led by his close associate Yael Wilner—designed solely to secure his appointment as Chief Justice. In doing so, he has plunged this institution into a moral abyss.

I accuse the Attorney General, who has become the de facto sovereign of the State of Israel, weaponizing the legal system into a tool of political warfare on behalf of a single sociological group. This has led to the complete corruption of Israel’s judicial institutions and the total erosion of public trust in them.

I accuse State Prosecutor Amit Aisman, who chose to follow in the footsteps of Shai Nitzan by wielding criminal law as a political weapon, blatantly violating the principle of equality before the law in a chilling manner.

I accuse all those complicit in the Netanyahu trial—who deliberately sought to overturn the outcome of democratic elections by fabricating an absurd and unprecedented case. This case was never meant to reach the stage of evidence but was designed solely to oust a popular sitting prime minister—just as was done previously to Yaakov Ne’eman and Dror Hoter-Yishai. The multimillion-shekel lawsuits filed by Nir Hefetz and Shlomo Filber against these very individuals will expose the disgraceful decision-making process behind this case.

I accuse the legal academia, which has betrayed its academic duty by serving the juristocracy instead of fostering intellectual and critical discourse that advances human knowledge. I specifically accuse those legal scholars who were once vocal critics of the judicial system but, in the face of this constitutional crisis, chose political loyalty over academic integrity. I accuse the Forum of Professors for the Juristocracy, which has so thoroughly corrupted Israel’s law faculties that they are now beyond repair.

I accuse the leaders of the Kaplan protest, who fought to preserve Israel’s corrupt juristocracy and went so far as to call for an end to military volunteer service—thus emboldening our enemies and undermining the Air Force’s operational readiness on October 7. The worst disaster in Israel’s history is their legacy.

On the 15th of Shevat, 1949, the Israeli Knesset was established. Today, at the coronation ceremony of Amit as Chief Justice—held in the presence of the President of Israel but boycotted by the elected representatives of the people—Israeli democracy was officially destroyed. In its place, at a so-called “festive” event, the corrupt Israeli juristocracy was formally installed.

The 77th year of the State of Israel will be the year of redemption and the restoration of democracy to the people. In this year, the seeds will be sown for the collapse of Israel’s juristocracy.