Parshat Shoftim begins with the words “Shoftim (judges) and Shotrim (police officers) you shall appoint for yourself in all of your cities that HaShem your God is giving you for your tribes; who will judge the people ‘mishpat tzedek’, righteous justice.”

Rashi comments that it is up to the nation to appoint competent, righteous judges to judge righteously.

Are the judges in the State of Israel today righteous judges who judge righteously?
One example which looks like the perversion of justice and the display of favoritism is the temporary injunction handed down by Justice Salim Jubran (a Christian from Haifa and the descendant of Lebanese Maronites, the Supreme Court’s sole Arab member) in Israel’s High Court of Justice. This week, in response to a petition filed by Alaa Abu Dhaim’s father (whose son is the murderer of eight yeshiva students at Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav), Justice Salim Jubran put on hold the order to partially demolish their home since the family claims that there is no proof that the attack was politically motivated and was therefore not a true act of terrorism.

According to MK Prof. Aryeh Eldad (NU-NRP) “There is nothing new in the fact that the Israeli Supreme Court is helping the enemies of Israel and the families of terrorists.”

We must do what we can to restore justice, speak out against terrorism and appoint truly righteous judges.