Zo Flamenbaum’s Last Israel – Between the Lines Edition – A Farewell Message
For close to 6 years and nearly 300 issues, Zo Flamenbaum published ISRAEL BETWEEN THE LINES week after week with great dedication and journalistic skill, winning many new readers with her refreshing writing style. Zo has opened the doors to many topics in the social field, and has shared how many institutions in Israel take care of the socially weak or marginalised. She reported on cultural experiments for a better understanding, coexistence of different ethnic groups in Israel, and wrote about her own initiatives to enable new immigrants to integrate quickly, for which she was also honoured with an important award.
Zo also succeeded in drawing a connection between traditions and the present in her “personal notes” on the Jewish holidays, and in showing us a way in which the Jewish way of life can help to strengthen unity throughout the country.
Zo is leaving us at her own request. She is taking on a new challenge and gettng 100% involved with a startup in the social sector.
Thank you Zo, not only was it a real enrichment for us to work with you, we have gained a friend in you who has given us so much over the years. Who knows, maybe you will publish a guest article one day. The whole media team of the Israeli-Swiss Association wishes you much success and good health.
On behalf of the board,
Philippe Weil and Jacques Korolnyk
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Four new judges were appointed to Israel’s Supreme Court in recent weeks, including judges who are Muslim and Mizrachi, meaning the Jewish Israelis originally from Arab countries like Morocco and Egypt. The 15-member court has welcomed Justice Ruth Ronnen, Justice Khaled Kabub, Justice Gila Kanfi-Steinitz, and Attorney Yechiel Kasher.
Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced their appointment, and shared that “The four new justices elected to the Supreme Court are outstanding. They were selected on the three criteria I established: excellence, balance, and diversity. A diversity of opinions, genders, and ethnic backgrounds. Most people understand that the justice system needs to be repaired, not destroyed, and they appreciate the obligation to keep Israel a Jewish and democratic state.”
Judges Kasher and Kanfi-Steinitz are viewed as more conservative, while Kabub and Ronnen are viewed as more liberal. The election process took months because of ongoing disagreements within the 9-member election committee. Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, who was on the committee, complained afterwards about the liberal judges saying, “If I had chaired the committee today, the results would have been different. It’s no secret that I wanted to appoint other judges. The chair of the committee, the Justice Minister, took a different line, insisting on the important principle of balance and that each [political] side should give two candidates.”
