Israel’s Judicial Selection Committee Ends 18-Month Freeze, Appoints Dozens of Judges

After an 18-month hiatus, the Judicial Selection Committee met on Sunday and approved 70 judges—68 in tallies—for magistrate, family, juvenile, traffic and district courts. Appointments include Menachem Mizrahi to the District Court, six district-court judges such as Efrat Or-Elias and Shelly Aisenberg, and 15 acting judges for Beersheba, Haifa, Jerusalem and Nof Hagalil-Nazareth.

The Jerusalem Post

Freeze began in January 2025 when Justice Minister Yariv Levin stopped the committee amid a reform dispute. A High Court panel ordered him on 31 May to reconvene, warning that vacancy crisis “severely impacted” court services. 51 posts were vacant, with a projected 67, in Beersheba (5/24) and Haifa (3/35).

The Jerusalem Post

The committee selected 68-70 judges, 53 permanent posts and 15 acting district-court appointments. The system has 51 vacancies; the 2025-2026 budget adds 35 positions, and the High Court estimates 150 posts must be filled. Committee members include Levin (chair), Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, Noam Sohlberg, Justice Dafna Barak-Erez, Minister Orit Strock, MKs Karine Elharrar and Yitzhak Kroizer, and Bar Association reps.

The Jerusalem PostIsrael's judge selections to resume after 18-month dispute leaves dozens of courts understaffed

Supreme Court President Amit called the selections a “long-sought-after effort” to strengthen magistrate management. High Court noted the shortage “severely impacted” judiciary’s capacity to enforce law and provide efficient service. Levin, in a comment, wished the new judges success “in fulfilling their mission.”

The Jerusalem Post

Opponents of the Basic Law amendment argue that replacing Bar Association members with public representatives would expose judges to partisan pressure and weaken balance. Justice Ofer Grosskopf expressed disappointment, saying the minister was proposing a solution to a problem he created.

The Jerusalem Post

Sources differ on the number of appointments, reporting either about 70 or 68 judges. Vacancy counts vary between 51 openings and a projected 67. No permanent judges have been named for Beersheba or Haifa, and the timetable for those posts remains unspecified.

The Jerusalem Post

• "After a long period of preparation and anticipation, I am pleased to announce that the committee convened today and selected dozens of judges for judicial posts across the country," — Isaac Amit, Supreme Court President

The Jerusalem Post

• "The burden created in the Israeli judicial system is exceptional and particularly heavy… the direct result of not appointing judges for such a long period is serious harm to the service that the judicial system is supposed to provide to the general public," — High Court (May ruling)

Israel's judge selections to resume after 18-month dispute leaves dozens of courts understaffed

• "I’m a bit saddened by the fact that the minister is proposing a solution for a problem he himself created," — Ofer Grosskopf, Justice, High Court

Israel's judge selections to resume after 18-month dispute leaves dozens of courts understaffed

• “in fulfilling their mission.” — Yariv Levin, Justice Minister

The Jerusalem Post

Candidates for posts in Beersheba and Haifa will be published in the state gazette, starting a 45-day public-notice period before the committee can vote. The Knesset dissolution in July may compress the timetable. Acting appointments are likely as the committee works to ease the backlog while the amendment to committee’s composition awaits legislative approval.

The Jerusalem Post