Independent Judiciaries Protect Minorities
I am writing in response to the opinion piece by Jerome M. Marcus, which is entitled, “What’s Really Happening in Israel” (April 7).
Of all people, Jews should realize that legislative majorities can have an impulse to oppress minorities. The only rights that minorities truly have are those that are upheld by independent judiciaries. Where judges are essentially political operatives chosen to rubber-stamp the actions of a ruling political party, the supposed rights of minorities are meaningless. This is the hallmark of totalitarian one-party states. The Jewish Times noted the author’s connection to the Kohelet Policy Forum. The forum is an American-funded advocacy group that wants Israel to sharply limit judicial review of legislative and executive actions — which is the common desire of every autocratic regime. These are neither American nor Israeli values.
Philip S. Shapiro,
St. Petersburg, Fla.
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