JPPI poll: Half of Israelis think Yitzhak Amit's appointment as Supreme Court President problematic

Half of the public believes that the appointment of Justice Yitzhak Amit as Supreme Court President is problematic, according to a poll published today (Thursday) by the JPPI.

86% of right-wing supporters oppose the appointment, 46% of right-wing supporters believe it should be prevented even at the cost of a constitutional crisis.

After a delay of many months, Justice Yitzhak Amit will be sworn in today as President of the Supreme Court, forced by a Supreme Court ruling many consider to be illegal or at least without clear legal foundation.

According to the Israeli Society Index survey by the Jewish People Policy Institute, 35% of all Israelis believe this appointment should have been made long ago, while half of respondents think it's a problematic appointment.

One-fifth of Israelis (20%) believe the appointment should have been prevented even at the cost of a constitutional crisis. Political views strongly influence Israelis' attitudes toward Justice Amit's appointment, with 86% of the right wing opposing the appointment. 40% of right-wing respondents said the appointment is problematic and would have been better not happening, and 46% of right-wing respondents said the Minister of Justice should have prevented the appointment even at the cost of a constitutional crisis.

When examining Jewish opinions only, overall, a quarter of Jews in Israel believe the Justice Minister should have prevented the appointment, even at the cost of a constitutional crisis. Most ultra-Orthodox, as well as 44% of Religious Zionism voters and 39% of Likud voters, believe the Minister of Justice should have prevented the appointment even at the cost of a constitutional crisis.

In contrast, in the Arab public, almost half (46%) of Arabs in Israel did not know how to answer this question, and among those who did answer, the majority believe Amit's appointment should have happened long ago.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin said that he would not attend the swearing in of Amit, and openly said after his appointment that he refuses to consider it legitimate.