[68540] Commissioner for Complaints against Judges: The judicial decision issued on the Sabbath - improper conduct

Severe criticism of Supreme Court justices: A decision made on the Sabbath without justification

The Commissioner for Complaints against Judges published an unusual decision yesterday (20.5.2026), according to which the complaint against the panel of Supreme Court justices - Justices Yitzhak Amit, Khaled Kabub, and Yechiel Kasher - regarding a judicial decision issued in the heart of the Sabbath about a month ago, was found to be justified.

According to Amit Segal, the Commissioner determined that the panel's conduct raised "a number of failures," and that there was no urgency in issuing the decisions during the Sabbath. The Commissioner added that it would have been appropriate to find "alternative procedural solutions" to prevent the desecration of the Sabbath, which was defined in his words as a "foundational value in our state."

In reports also brought by Kol HaHadashot and Netael Bandel et al., the Commissioner's demand that the justices wrap themselves in both their "Jewish robe" and their "democratic robe" was quoted. The Complaints Commissioner criticized the interpretation the panel gave to terms such as "saving a life" (Pikuach Nefesh) or "preventing serious damage," and noted that this "raises significant difficulty."

The reports, mostly coming from media outlets identified with right-wing and conservative positions, emphasize the Commissioner's reservation regarding the justices' conduct, as was also noted on the Israel News Channel without Censorship, which defined the Commissioner's remark as "unusual."