The Israeli legal world was shocked on Wednesday by the revelation that Israel Bar Association Chairman Effi Naveh had allegedly promised judicial appointments and promotions in exchange for sexual favors.
"My heart is weeping, my eyes are torn in disbelief," a former district court judge said.
A former official at the State Attorney's Office said: "This is beyond shocking, this is earth-shattering and unprecedented. I have never seen such a thing throughout my career – I am speechless."
Naveh allegedly used his influence within the Judicial Selection Committee - the official body in charge of appointing judges in Israel - to secure the appointment of a lawyer as a magistrates' court judge in exchange for sex. In another case, he told a different lawyer he would secure a promotion for her husband, who is a judge, if she accepted his sexual advances. She allegedly agreed, but he ultimately failed to secure the husband the district court judgeship he promised. Investigators believe that the allegations could amount to bribery.
Former Deputy Chief Justice Eliahu Mazza told Reshet Bet radio: "This scandal sends chills down my spine; this is like a malignant tumor that has spread."
Varda Alshech, a former deputy district court president, said the allegations should not taint the entire legal system.
"The bad apples should be dealt with, and above all those who misbehaved should be ashamed of themselves for going so low," Alshech said. "But we must keep in mind that our courts are wonderful, [they] act wonderfully and with integrity. The judicial confirmation process in Israel is a model for other nations," she continued.
Haran Fainstein, a former magistrate's court judge said that "if the allegations are true, this is an apocalypse and an earthquake."
He stressed that if it turns out that judges were promoted in exchange for sex, it would tantamount to a breakdown of the entire system.
"Yes, judicial nominees often engage in lobbying to get confirmed, and that is understandable, but using sexual bribes – if proven – is the unraveling of the system and must result in an overhaul," Fainstein said.
Dr. Oded Mudrik, a former deputy district court president, said that if the allegations were correct, "a line was crossed."
Mudrik said that "judges are not smarter than the rest of us, but if such prominent officials do such things – everyone loses trust in the system. How can people trust judges now?" Mudrik stressed that "the system has proven itself for the past 70 years with almost zero scandals."
Former magistrates' court judge Daniel Ernst said that scandal should not be overblown.
"We shouldn't be shocked every time some scandalous report emerges on someone's alleged misconduct, because no one expects the system to be 100% fault-free. There are bad apples in every system, and Israel's legal system is in much better shape compared to other countries," he said.
