Beinisch slams talkbackers

Court president calls to stifle incitement after Judge Gilad's car torched.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
dorit beinisch 311 Ariel Jerozolimski (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
dorit beinisch 311 Ariel Jerozolimski
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch responded Monday to the early morning arson attack which burned Haifa District Court Judge Moshe Gilad's car by saying that the torching of his vehicle indicates a deterioration to violence.
“There is a radicalization in the behavior towards judges which undermines government institutions, especially the the judicial system,” Beinisch said.
She called to uproot the problem from its roots and restrain expression that incites in media. Among those forms of expression, she said, were talkback responses on the Internet.
Gilad's car was torched early Monday morning by unknown arsonists near his Acre residence. Nobody was wounded in the incident which has all the markings of yet another attack upon one of Israel’s judges
Commander of the Northern District Police Shimon Koren promised Monday that the police would do everything in their power to find whoever was responsible.
Police consider the arson an attack on the Haifa judge, and believe it is related to his work in court, but note that Gilad in the past was a lawyer who represented criminals, including members of the Mor family. According to Gilad, he did not receive any threats in the recent past.
“An attack against a judge or any other element in the legal enforcement system is a blow to a symbol of the authorities and to democracy. The police will act on all levels and allocate means and funds to reach the perpetrators,” Koren said.
Galad is now classified as under high threat as criminal elements are threatening some thrity-five police officers and twenty-five public officials in the north, Israel Radio reported.
Last month, Beinisch was lightly wounded when 52-year-old PinchasCohen, who has a criminal record, threw two of his sneakers at thechief justice as she presided over a court hearing – striking her inthe face with the first shoe and knocking her off her chair as thesecond whizzed past.
Meanwhile on Monday a judge at theJerusalem Local Affairs Court was verbally attacked by a man in thecourt hall, who hollered at her: “I wish you die. I’ll take care of it.”
The suspect was arrested by court security, and was transferred to police for questioning.