Israel Appoints First Muslim Justice, Mizrachi Woman to Supreme Court

A remarkably diverse group of justices were appointed to Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday, including the first Muslim man and first Mizrachi woman.

The Judicial Appointments Committee chose Judges Khaled Kabub, Gila Kanfi-Steinitz, and Ruth Ronnen, as well as private sector lawyer Yechiel Kasher.

It is the first time that a set of judicial appointments to the 15-member court was evenly split between men and women.

Kanfi-Steinitz, 63, has served as a judge for 28 years, including 16 years at the Jerusalem District Court, Israeli news site N12 reported. She is seen as somewhat conservative in her judicial outlook, though she has also made “liberal” rulings. She is the first Jewish woman of Mizrachi descent to be appointed to the Supreme Court.

Ronen, 60, has served for the last 17 years as a judge in the Tel Aviv District Court. She is considered an “activist” judge.

Kasher, 60, is an expert on civil and financial litigation, and was appointed in part due to the Israel Bar Association’s desire to have a justice from the private sector. He is regarded as having a generally right-wing legal outlook.

Kabub, 63, the current vice-president of the Tel Aviv District Court, will be the first Muslim justice on the Supreme Court. He has served as a judge since 1997 and is best known for presiding over the trial of Israeli billionaire Nochi Danker for financial crimes.

Justice Minister Gideon Saar said at the opening of the Committee’s session that the three guiding principles for selecting justices should be “excellence, balance, and diversity,” Israeli news site Calcalist reported.

The chosen justices would be “diverse and balanced from the point of view of legal concepts and reflect our diverse social mosaic,” Saar added.

Avi Himi, the head of the Israel Bar Association, told Israeli news site Walla, “These are excellent jurists who will work for the citizens of Israel — all of them.”