Former Supreme Court justice Edna Arbel, who served for eight years as state attorney before joining the bench, died on Wednesday, the judiciary announced.
Arbel was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2004 and retired on June 22, 2014, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
She spent 16 years in the Central District Prosecution, from 1972 to 1988, serving as head of the office during her final four years there. She was then appointed to the Tel Aviv District Court, where she served until 1996.
In January 1996, Arbel was appointed state attorney. She also filled in as acting attorney-general in the A-G’s absence.
Arbel's contribution to Israel's Supreme Court
Her tenure as state attorney coincided with a period of high-profile public corruption cases involving senior officials, a major feature of her legal legacy, including those involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his first term in 1996.
State Attorney Amit Aisman and the State Attorney’s Office expressed “deep sorrow” over Arbel’s death, calling her “one of the prominent and influential figures who shaped the character of Israel’s law enforcement system.”
“Over more than four decades of public service, she acted with determination, integrity, and extraordinary dedication to strengthening the rule of law, protecting the public interest, and doing justice,” Aisman said.
He noted that he had the privilege of knowing Arbel and working alongside her, describing her as “a jurist of the highest order, a professional leader, [and] a fighter who acted from a deep sense of mission, with courage, professionalism, and an uncompromising commitment to the values of justice and the rule of law.”
As state attorney, Arbel led the office “during a significant and complex period,” Aisman said, adding that she strengthened it professionally and ethically and left a deep mark on generations of prosecutors.
During her time in the prosecution service, Arbel chaired the “Prosecution 2000” committee and a committee that drafted an ethical code for prosecutors. She also took part in international discussions in Rome, The Hague, and Strasbourg concerning the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Arbel was part of the team that gathered material for the commission of inquiry into the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre. She also wrote the report of a committee appointed by the attorney-general following the police investigation into the 1984 Bus 300 affair.
She later taught criminal law and criminology at Tel Aviv University and Ono Academic College.
On the Supreme Court, Arbel authored the principal opinion in the High Court’s 2013 ruling that struck down a 2012 amendment to the Prevention of Infiltration Law. The nine-justice panel unanimously ruled that the amendment, which allowed for the lengthy detention of asylum seekers and migrants, disproportionately infringed on the right to liberty.
She also joined the court’s majority in a ruling against privatizing parts of Israel’s prison system, finding that transferring incarceration powers to a private entity undermined state oversight and prisoners’ rights.
Arbel's legacy as model of uncompromising dedication to the values of Israel
Arbel was also known for a forceful approach in cases involving violence against women and sexual offenses.
During her retirement ceremony in June 2014, after she read her final authored decision, she offered words of encouragement to the prosecution in its fight against corruption, saying that the fight was for the state’s “foundations as a democracy” and “You cannot back down.”
Aisman said Arbel’s figure would remain “a model of professionalism, integrity, courage, and uncompromising dedication to the values of law and the State of Israel,” particularly at a time when the rule of law, the independence of the judicial system, and public service are at the center of public discourse.
The judiciary said Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, the court’s justices, court presidents, judges, and employees joined Arbel’s three daughters and family in mourning. Funeral arrangements are to be announced separately.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.