President Rivlin:
“State Attorneys must listen closely to criticism, separate the wheat from the chaff and discard what is not important. There is certainly criticism of the legal system, including of the State Advocate’s Office, which is legitimate. But I also want to say in the clearest possible terms: never allow to the disparagement, the pressure to bend the law or to delay it to get the better of you. Never allow personal contacts or utilitarian considerations of profit and loss get in the way of your duty to the law and to protect the public interest”
For all of us, on behalf of every citizen of Israel, do not be afraid, do not be intimidated, do not be scared of anyone. Your duty on behalf of the public and for the public interest is not to allow background noises to interfere with your judgment and to jealously guard your ethical and professional standards”
President Reuven Rivlin today, 17 October / 8 Cheshvan, spoke at an event marking the 70th anniversary of the State Attorney’s Office that was held in Eilat. Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked, Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh, State Attorney Shai Nitzan and director-general of the Ministry of Justice Emi Palmor also spoke at the event.
In his remarks, the president spoke about the role of the state attorney and said, “Recently, there has been sharp criticism of the ethos that has developed in the Ministry of Justice regarding the role of the state attorney. The theoretical discussion that results in practical questions about the role of the state attorney are important and worthy of discussion and further clarification, but they must not be allowed to impair the unique identity of the state attorney. The state attorney is a special kind of lawyer, not only legal expert but also an ambassador of the rule of law.”
The president emphasized, “The state attorney, wearing his hat as the state’s lawyer, is duty-bound to help the government and its authorities implement its policies and to represent them in the best and most faithful way in court, but that is always balanced with upholding and defending the principle that the authorities act within the law. As I heard many times from my friend Mishael Cheshin ז"ל it is the truth, and not victory, is what should drive the state attorney and a that true state attorney never loses a case, but always wins. That does not mean that a state attorney can not and should not fight to make his case, and Cheshin – for those who had the privilege of hearing him plead in court – was the greatest example of this. But once the court has delivered judgment, it is truth and law which is victorious.”
“Few public servants are required to have the breadth and depth of civic courage that is demanded of the state attorney,” added the president. “Some of you battle organized criminals for whom nothing is off-limits. Sometimes your decisions are not popular and you are the target of criticism that does not take into account all the evidence you have at your disposal. Sometimes you encounter a lack of support from policy makers and sometimes you are required to stand up to those more senior than you in order to preserve good governance and the rule of law. For all of us, on behalf of every citizen of Israel, do not be afraid, do not be intimidated, do not be scared of anyone. Your duty on behalf of the public and for the public interest is not to allow background noises to interfere with your judgment and to jealously guard your ethical and professional standards. In truth, the State Attorney’s Office office is not a desert island, and nor should it be. I have personal and tough experience of delays and drawn-out legal processes with the State Attorney’s Office: when there were reports of alleged misdeeds in my public service, I thought that the police should investigate and I had, and do not have, any complaints about that. I was angry and criticized the State Attorney’s Office for delaying its decision on the case for three and a half years. I also believe that as a protector of the public interest, the State Attorney’s Office should listen closely to criticism. It must separate the wheat from the chaff and discard what is not important. There is certainly criticism of the legal system, including of the State Advocate’s Office, which is legitimate. But I also want to say in the clearest possible terms: never allow to the disparagement, the pressure to bend the law or to delay it to get the better of you. Never allow personal contacts or utilitarian considerations of profit and loss get in the way of your duty to the law and to protect the public interest”
President Rivlin concluded his remarks by praising the annual summary of the State Prosecutor’s Office which noted the significant and constant rise in the number of Ethiopian, Arab, Druze and Circassian people it employs. “With actions, attention and organizational leadership this is how we create a stronger public service in Israel and improve Israeli society as a whole,” he said.
