Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz officiallyended his term and handed the reins to attorney Yehuda Weinstein at a Justice Ministry ceremony onThursday afternoon.
During his inaugural address, Weinstein vowed to work closely with Justice Minister Ya'acov Neeman, saying that “the cooperation between the attorney-general andjustice minister is vital to upholding the rule of law.”
Weinstein made special note of the struggle ahead of him, against “corruption, violence and dragged-out court cases.”
"We have to do our very best," he said. "But let usmove from good words to good deeds."
Mazuz referred to Wednesday’s incident inwhich Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch was attacked with a shoe, callingit an “ugly, violent phenomenon.”
“It crossed red lines, and is a low pointfor Israeli society,” he said. “I don’t want to link (other) personal attacks to this incident, but it’s a warning sign.”
He went on to stress the importance of preservingthe independent status of the office of attorneygeneral.
“These days aren’t easy and the challengesare greater than ever,” he said. “It an era of argumentsover the democratic rules of the game, it (the independence of the attorney general) is the guarantee of our continuedexistence as a civilized society. In recent years we have witnessed a dirtywave of attacks on the Supreme Court and police, as well as an erosion of respect for the law.”