Shaked: Separation of powers has become blurred
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked says the public perceives that decision-making has been put in the hands of the courts and not of the people.
"The standpoint of not ruling against the will of the people but with its consent is a leitmotif in jurisprudence," she said.
"(David) Ben-Gurion shared this position as well. In recent years, the public has increasingly had the perception that the lines have increasingly become blurred. It seems that decision-making and governance are not in the hands of the people, but in the hands of the legal system.
"The issue lies at the heart of public debate. Those who oppose the phenomenon of the blurring of powers, myself included, are painted as uneducated, while those who advocate it are called enlightened. I reject this decision and I reject these definitions.
"It's no secret that as the public's emissary, I seek to strengthen the position of those elected by the public in the legislature and the executive branch, to work to strengthen the sovereignty of Israel's Knesset and the ability of the Israeli government to act, while being committed to preserve the judiciary and its status."
Shaked added that only a true separation of powers would ensure democracy.
She emphasized the importance of the Supreme Court, which "has always been a source of national pride for its protection of human rights and the basic values of the country. Our court has earned a place of honor in the legal sphere, in Israel and the world alike. I will act to preserve this status, with the principle of the rule of law before my eyes."
