Israel’s Justice Minister calls the Supreme Court’s ruling against the Shas leader “absurd”

Levin affirms that he “tramples” the votes of Shas and the will of the Israeli people, while the Likud describes it as “injustice”

Jan. 18 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Israel’s Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, has branded as “absurd” the Supreme Court ruling against the leader of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, Aryeh Deri, which concludes that he cannot hold his position as Minister of Interior and Health due to a sentence for tax fraud.

Levin has ruled that he “tramples” the votes of almost 400,000 Shas voters, as well as “the will of the majority of Israelis.” “I will do everything necessary to fully repair the terrible injustice committed against Deri, Shas and democracy,” he added, according to the newspaper ‘The Times of Israel’.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party has also ruled in the same vein, stating in a statement that the decision against Deri, who is a “central” party within the government, is an “injustice.”

The affected party, Shas, for its part, has indicated that the ruling of the highest Israeli court is “extremely irrational” and is “political.” “The court effectively ruled that the elections are meaningless,” according to the aforementioned newspaper.

For his part, former Israeli minister Yair Lapid, current opposition leader Yesh Atid, has stressed that if Deri is not fired the government “will be breaking the law.” “A government that does not abide by the law is an illegal government,” he said, as reported by the newspaper ‘The Jerusalem Post’.

The Supreme Court’s decision has precipitated a meeting between Netanyahu and Deri attended by several members of Shas. Hours earlier, the Minister of Heritage, Amihai Eliyahu, of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, has encouraged the Government to disobey the Supreme Court, since it is an “irresponsible” decision.

Earlier, the plaintiff in the case, the Movement for Quality Government, has called on Netanyahu to fire Deri and abide by the ruling, which has been “an important step towards upholding the rule of law and a victory for the people.” Israeli”. “The Government is not a rehabilitation center for criminals,” they have denounced.

Netanyahu’s Likud and Shas agreed to Deri’s appointment as one of the conditions for the prime minister to gain crucial support from this party, including a commitment to amend existing legislation to remove potential impediments.

Said amendment, known as the ‘Deri Law’, was approved to amend the Basic Law, which prevented those with suspended sentences from holding ministerial posts. Deri was indicted for fraud and signed an agreement for a suspended sentence and payment of a fine.

Following this, a complaint was filed in court arguing that Deri cannot hold elected office and protesting against the constitutionality of the amendments to the Basic Law. The Supreme Court ruling resulted in ten votes in favor and one against the disqualification of the Shas leader.