Outrage Erupts as Senior Israeli Judge Allegedly Brands Religious Zionists ‘Worse Than Hamas’

By: Fern Sidman

A firestorm of controversy has engulfed Israel’s judicial system following explosive allegations against Judge Yoram Broza, Deputy President of the Magistrate’s Court in Be’er Sheva, who has reportedly made deeply offensive and unprecedented remarks targeting Israel’s religious sector — especially religious Zionists. The scandal, first reported by Avishai Grinzeig on i24NEWS and now widely covered by VIN News, has prompted sharp backlash from religious and political leaders, and raised urgent questions about bias within the Israeli judiciary.

According to the information provided in the VIN News report, Broza is alleged to have told a religious colleague in the judiciary, “After we’re done with Hamas, we’ll move on to deal with the religious Zionists. Why weren’t Ben Gvir and his son, or Smotrich and his son, killed? The religious are to blame for everything. Religious Zionists are worse than Hamas. They are the greatest threat to the state.”

The remarks, if verified, would represent a shocking departure from judicial impartiality and are being described by VIN News as “the most incendiary ever attributed to a sitting judge in Israel against the religious community.”

In multiple interactions with judicial colleagues, Broza reportedly unleashed a torrent of inflammatory statements, blaming religious Jews for the October 7th massacre and accusing the current government of religious and political leaders of steering the country toward ruin.

“This corrupt government and the religious will lead us to destruction. The members of this messianic government will bring about all our deaths,” Broza is alleged to have said in a private meeting, according to sources cited by VIN News.

In another interaction, he reportedly accused religious people directly of causing the Hamas invasion on October 7th, stating: “Because of you, the religious, all this mess happened. The entire October 7 disaster happened because of you.”

One anonymous colleague quoted by VIN News described Broza’s conduct bluntly: “He speaks without filters and offends everyone.”

In a particularly disturbing incident recounted by VIN News, a religious female judge shared a photo of her son — a soldier in the IDF’s elite Golani Brigade serving in Lebanon. According to multiple witnesses, Broza coldly responded: “I don’t want to see such a photo,” leaving the woman visibly shaken and reportedly “pale and in shock.”

In yet another instance, Broza allegedly excused himself from a judicial event by saying: “I can’t stand them. They’re religious.”

These incidents have sparked deep concern within the religious Zionist community, with many leaders warning that such sentiments—especially from within the judiciary—represent a dangerous erosion of trust in one of the state’s most critical institutions.

Judge Broza responded to the allegations through a statement released by the Judiciary Authority’s spokesperson, denying the charges and suggesting his remarks had been taken out of context: “The statements attributed to the judge include things that were never said and are taken out of context, selectively chosen from private conversations, and do not reflect his views. It is regrettable that some chose to quote, supposedly in the judge’s name, fragments of statements that were never made or that distort what was actually said in private conversations between colleagues.”

However, the VIN News report noted that multiple sources within the judiciary have corroborated the tone and content of Broza’s remarks, even if not every word was recorded verbatim. The incident has sparked renewed calls for greater transparency and accountability within Israel’s judicial system, which has already come under political pressure in recent years.

The allegations come at a time of heightened tension between secular judicial elites and Israel’s religious political leadership, particularly in light of the controversial judicial reforms proposed by the Netanyahu government.

Religious Zionist leaders have voiced grave concerns over whether such judicial figures can be trusted to rule impartially in cases involving religious defendants, political activists, or legislation with a religious component.

As the VIN News report pointed out, the scandal may now prompt a formal ethics investigation into Judge Broza’s conduct. Several religious MKs have called for his immediate suspension pending a full inquiry.

The case of Judge Broza could prove to be a litmus test for how seriously the Israeli judiciary takes allegations of religious discrimination within its own ranks. As the outcry continues to grow, many are asking: If these statements were made about any other minority group in Israel, would the response have been as measured?

For now, VIN News reported that pressure is mounting for concrete action, not just statements of regret. Whether Broza remains on the bench—and whether the judiciary restores public confidence in its impartiality—remains to be seen.