Iraqi-born judge Edmond Levy dies

 With thanks: Sylvia


Eulogies have been pouring in following the sudden death of Edmond Levy. Until he retired three years ago, the Iraqi-born Levy was the only Mizrahi judge on the Supreme Court. He will be best remembered for returning a 'controversial' report in 2012, legitimising West Bank Jewish settlements.

Israel Hayom reports:

A stellar jurist. Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy [Archive] | Photo credit: Contact

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Former Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy died Tuesday at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem at the age of 72. His funeral has been set for Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., at the Ramla cemetery. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Chief Justice Asher Grunis and Supreme Court Justice Esther Hayut are scheduled to speak at the service. 

"I bow my head at the passing of Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement issued on Thursday night. "He left an indelible mark on the Supreme Court. Levy possessed a sharp, independent intellect, which was extraordinary, and he had an impressive ability to analyze complex situations. Always straight as an arrow, he never shied away from expressing his opinion on controversial issues and he always had the best interest of the State of Israel and the public at heart."

"Justice Levy's appointment to the Supreme Court was not a given, especially in a society where one's social affiliation would often influence the choice of Supreme Court judges," Livni eulogized Levy in a statement issued Tuesday. 

"He was a bold judicial activist, who was never afraid to express his professional truth, even when it was highly controversial. His ruling expressed high social awareness and extraordinary sensitivity. He was a champion of constitutional and social rights. We have lost a stellar jurist. I offer his family my deepest condolences. May he rest in peace," she said. (...)

The Yesha Council, the umbrella organization of municipal councils of Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, issued a statement saying, "The Yesha Council mourns the passing of Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy. The State of Israel and the settlement enterprise have lost an important advocate and a friend to Jewish heritage."

The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel eulogized Levy, saying, "Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy was a clear and loud voice and he never cowered before the majority [opinion] in the Supreme Court."

Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin said, "We all mourn Levy's death. He was a great man who followed his values and his inner truth without fear or reservation."

Born in October 1941 in Iraq, Levy immigrated with his family to Israel when he was 10 years old. He enrolled in the Hebrew University in Jerusalem's Faculty of Law following his military service, and worked at the Ramla Magistrates' Court's cafeteria during his studies. He continues to work at the courthouse, slowly rising through its administrative ranks to the position of court secretary, until 1970, when he passed the Israeli bar exam and opened a small, independent law firm in Ramla.

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