In one message, the organizers of the protest movement against the reform in the judicial system announced Sunday that there will be no demonstrations in front of the home of Minister Yariv Levin due to the passing of his father on Sunday. However, in another message, the organizers later announced that they will continue to protest, but moved the protest to a location further away from the mourning home.
Israel Prize laureate, Professor of Linguistics, Aryeh Levin, passed away yesterday morning and the family will be sitting Shiva, the seven-day period of mourning at the home of his son, Yariv Levin, who as Justice Minister, is leading the charge to reform the judicial system. Levin, who lives in the central city of Modiin, has had a protest camp in front of his building since the protests began.
In the initial announcement published by the organizers, it was said that the postponement was made "out of participation in the grief of the Minister of Justice and his family over the death of his father, the Israel Prize laureate, the late Professor Aryeh Levin". Later, a statement was published according to which the protest leaders "are calling on the regular protesters who come to his house in the middle of the week in the afternoon, to come in the coming days to the Shilat junction and protest there against the coup d'รฉtat. There will be a separate announcement about the location of the demonstration next night." The Shilat junction lies just outside of Modiin on highway 443 and is an extremely busy intersection that can have profound effects on traffic when blocked.
Prof. Aryeh Levin, father of Israel's current Justice Minister, Yariv Levin, has passed away, aged 85.
โ Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) March 12, 2023
Prof. Levin was a recipient of the Israel Prize in Linguistics (2010), a renowned expert in Arabic and Professor at Hebrew U. May his memory always be blessed! pic.twitter.com/FcL1zNkLad
Professor Levin, who passed away Sunday morning, was an emeritus professor of linguistics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and an expert in the study of the Arabic language. The office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice stated that "the family is grateful from the bottom of their hearts to all the comforters, and requests that the Shiva be held in a limited family setting only. Thank you for your understanding."
๐ฎ๐ฑ In the Israeli city of Modiin-Maccabim-Reut, thousands of people are protesting in front of the home of Justice Minister Yariv Levin. pic.twitter.com/UGyfpeXUnE
โ Global News (@YvesUitGent) March 5, 2023
Prime Minister Netanyahu sent his condolences. โ I send condolences on behalf of myself and in the name of the entire government, to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, our friend Yariv Levin, after the death of his father, the late Prof. Aryeh Levin, only a few months after the death of his mother. Prof. Levin was the recipient of the Israel Prize, an expert in linguistics, and a great researcher of the Arabic language. I know how close Yariv was to him with every fiber of his soul, and we send him and his family our condolences from the bottom of our hearts."
Prof. Aryeh Levin, father of Justice Minister Levin, dies at 85 https://t.co/xjnElYxAwi
โ ืืืจืื ืืืืฉืข ืืื ,ืืืจืื Avi Barbour (@AviBarbour) March 12, 2023
During the Sunday morning deliberations in the Constitutional Committee on the judicial reform promoted by Levin, the announcement of the father's death arrived, the chairman of the committee, MK Simcha Rothman, said: "On behalf of the committee, I would like to express my condolences to Minister of Justice Yariv Levin, whose father passed away today, his many titles and positions are countless. The meeting will only end when I list all the things he accomplished in his life."
