What made this ceremony different from past ones, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana did not attend the swearing-in ceremony. Opposition leader Yair Lapid, former President Reuven Rivlin, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, past Supreme Court Judges, hundreds of judges, and Amit family members filled the large room used for official events. 

At the mandatory retirement age for judges of 70, Esther Hayut, the previous Supreme Court President, retired in October 2023. Justice Uzi Fogelman served as the acting court president, until he retired, in October 2024, at age 70. Since January 26, Amit, 66, has served as acting court president. 

Those in the audience warmly applauded and supported Amit's new role. However, outside on the street across from Beit Hanasi protesters gathered before the event. The crowd could be heard during Fogelman and Amit's speeches and grew louder as everyone left the building. 

President Herzog mentioned the parsha of Yisro and continued: "I address the leaders of all branches of government—the legislative, executive, and judicial—and their representatives. Let us ensure that this significant occasion, marking the end of a prolonged and troubling period without a permanent appointment to head Israel’s judiciary, signals the beginning of an era of cooperation and dialogue between the branches. May this moment usher in a national spirit of goodwill—an era of outreach, moderation, and broad consensus-building.

"It is time for in-depth public discussions on the most fundamental issues impacting the branches of government and Israeli democracy. It is time for agreements. I pledge to you—I will not rest, I will not be silent, and I will not be deterred in the effort to achieve such agreements. In the effort to rebuild a shared foundation for all of us after a period of great division.

"Especially today, as the voices of our captive sisters and brothers cry out to us from beneath the ground in Gaza, and we remain deeply concerned for their fate—the people of Israel look to the leadership of the three branches of government, yearning to see their leaders working shoulder to shoulder despite their differences.

"In a democratic state, it is not only the right of the majority to set the agenda—it is its duty. Yet, it is also its duty to safeguard the rights of the minority. In a democratic state, governance is not merely a right—it is an obligation. But it is also an obligation to act responsibly for all citizens of Israel, regardless of their views, beliefs, religions, and ways of life.

"The independence and impartiality of the judiciary play a central and vital role in the system of checks and balances essential to the functioning of our democracy. Compliance with the court and its rulings is mandatory. Disobedience of the law—especially by public officials and civil servants—must not even be considered. Any expression of defiance against the law and the legal system is not only an attack on Israeli statehood but an assault on Israeli sovereignty."

The President added: "I wish to conclude with a prayer for our captive brothers and sisters. Those who have returned and begun the process of rehabilitation have shown us the immense importance of redeeming captives—the understanding that saving even a single life is as if saving an entire world.

"These are harrowing, challenging, and deeply sensitive times, and I continue to call, again and again, for the completion of all stages of the deal and for action by every means and tool at our disposal to bring the hostages home. As one in daily contact with many families of the hostages, I cry out their desperate plea for the urgent return of every last one of them.

"I call on the entire public to support the families of the hostages, to embrace them, and to treat them with the utmost sensitivity in their time of anguish. They are enduring a hell of anxiety and uncertainty, and we must think a thousand times before making any statement that could, even in the slightest way, add to their suffering."