Menachem Mazuz
Encyclopedia
Menachem Mazuz is an Israel
i jurist
, who served as the Israeli Attorney General
in the years 2004-2010. Mazuz was born in Djerba
, Tunisia
, the fourth in a family of nine children of the rabbi of one of the island's Jewish communities. His family immigrated to Israel
during his childhood, settling in Netivot
.
Mazuz served his compulsory military service in the IDF
Armor Corps, and then studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, earning his law degree in 1980 specializing in public and administrative law. Upon graduation, he worked in the Ministry of Justice for several years in a number of tasks, including processing petitions to the Supreme Court
. During this time he was also teaching public and administrative law at the Hebrew University. From 1991 through 1995, he served as one of the advisors coordinating legal aspects of Israel's negotiations with Jordan
and the Palestinian Authority. In 1995, he was appointed Deputy Attorney General, and served in that position for ten years.
In January 2004, Mazuz was appointed Attorney General. At the time of the appointment, he was seen as a career civil servant with little political or criminal-law experience. However, the circumstances of his appointment drew considerable interest because Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
and his sons were under investigation by the Attorney General's office for campaign-finance irregularities relating to his 1999 campaign for leadership of the Likud
party.
When Mazuz's predecessor Elyakim Rubinstein
resigned to accept appointment to the Supreme Court, Mazuz was chosen by Justice Minister Yosef Lapid
; his selection and confirmation were carried out without the involvement of Sharon or vice-premier Ehud Olmert
(also a target of the campaign-finance investigation) who both abstained
in order to avoid a conflict of interest
.
Upon taking office, Mazuz said he would vigorously pursue the case against Sharon, earning him contrasts in the media with Rubinstein, who had been accused of moving too slowly on the matter. In the summer of 2005, he secured the indictment of Ariel Sharon's son Omri
on corruption charges, but decided not to charge Ariel Sharon himself and his other son, Gilad.
Mazuz adopted a hardline legal approach towards demonstrators opposing the destruction of the Jewish towns of Gush Katif
. While stating that measures will be taken against violent demonstrators, and that detained protestors would not be given a collective pardon, he also forbade a demonstration in the town of Sderot
. After the successful and relatively peaceful completion of the retreat, Mazuz said that it was freedom of demonstration which prevented the operation from escalating into a violent one.
Mazuz faced harsh criticism following his decision, given in January 2005, according to which Israeli Arabs are allowed to buy lands owned by the Jewish National Fund
. Some have accused Mazuz of incompliance with Israel's image as a Jewish state
.
Mazuz has come under criticism from human rights groups for allowing Israeli police to employ violence against demonstrators in the evacuation of Amona
.
A resident of Jerusalem, he is married with two children.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, who served as the Israeli Attorney General
Attorney General of Israel
The Attorney General of Israel stands at the head of the legal system of the executive branch and the head of the public legal establishment, in charge of protecting the rule of law and as such entrusted with protecting the public interest from possible harm by government authorities...
in the years 2004-2010. Mazuz was born in Djerba
Djerba
Djerba , also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is, at 514 km², the largest island of North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes, off the coast of Tunisia.-Description:...
, Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
, the fourth in a family of nine children of the rabbi of one of the island's Jewish communities. His family immigrated to Israel
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
during his childhood, settling in Netivot
Netivot
Netivot is a city in the Southern District of Israel in Israel. At the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 26,700. It was founded in 1956 as a development town along with Sderot to the north, and Ofakim to the south...
.
Mazuz served his compulsory military service in the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
Armor Corps, and then studied law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
, earning his law degree in 1980 specializing in public and administrative law. Upon graduation, he worked in the Ministry of Justice for several years in a number of tasks, including processing petitions to the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Israel
The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
. During this time he was also teaching public and administrative law at the Hebrew University. From 1991 through 1995, he served as one of the advisors coordinating legal aspects of Israel's negotiations with Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
and the Palestinian Authority. In 1995, he was appointed Deputy Attorney General, and served in that position for ten years.
In January 2004, Mazuz was appointed Attorney General. At the time of the appointment, he was seen as a career civil servant with little political or criminal-law experience. However, the circumstances of his appointment drew considerable interest because Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
and his sons were under investigation by the Attorney General's office for campaign-finance irregularities relating to his 1999 campaign for leadership of the Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
party.
When Mazuz's predecessor Elyakim Rubinstein
Elyakim Rubinstein
Elyakim Rubinstein was the Attorney General of Israel from 1997 to 2004 and is currently serving as a Judge on the Supreme Court of Israel.Rubinstein, a lifelong Israeli diplomat and civil servant, has had an influential role in that country's internal and external politics, most notably in...
resigned to accept appointment to the Supreme Court, Mazuz was chosen by Justice Minister Yosef Lapid
Yosef Lapid
Yosef "Tommy" Lapid -Biography:Lapid was born in Novi Sad, Yugoslavia to a family of Hungarian Jewish descent. His family was seized by the Nazis and deported to the Budapest ghetto. His father was deported to a concentration camp, where he was murdered. Lapid and his mother survived the war and...
; his selection and confirmation were carried out without the involvement of Sharon or vice-premier Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert
Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer. He served as Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009, as a Cabinet Minister from 1988 to 1992 and from 2003 to 2006, and as Mayor of Jerusalem from 1993 to 2003....
(also a target of the campaign-finance investigation) who both abstained
Abstention
Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrasted with "blank vote", in which a voter casts a ballot willfully made invalid by...
in order to avoid a conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
.
Upon taking office, Mazuz said he would vigorously pursue the case against Sharon, earning him contrasts in the media with Rubinstein, who had been accused of moving too slowly on the matter. In the summer of 2005, he secured the indictment of Ariel Sharon's son Omri
Omri Sharon
Omri Sharon is a former Israeli politician. Sharon served as a member of Knesset between 2003 and 2006. In 2006, he was convicted of fraud and sentenced to nine months in prison. He reported to Maasiyahu Prison to begin serving his sentence in 2008. He was released later the same year, having...
on corruption charges, but decided not to charge Ariel Sharon himself and his other son, Gilad.
Mazuz adopted a hardline legal approach towards demonstrators opposing the destruction of the Jewish towns of Gush Katif
Gush Katif
Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Gush Katif was specifically mentioned by Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who fell victim to an assassin in 1995, as essential to Israel's security border. In August 2005, the Israeli army moved the 8,600...
. While stating that measures will be taken against violent demonstrators, and that detained protestors would not be given a collective pardon, he also forbade a demonstration in the town of Sderot
Sderot
Sderot is a western Negev city in the Southern District of Israel. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 20,700. The city has been an ongoing target of Qassam rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip...
. After the successful and relatively peaceful completion of the retreat, Mazuz said that it was freedom of demonstration which prevented the operation from escalating into a violent one.
Mazuz faced harsh criticism following his decision, given in January 2005, according to which Israeli Arabs are allowed to buy lands owned by the Jewish National Fund
Jewish National Fund
The Jewish National Fund was founded in 1901 to buy and develop land in Ottoman Palestine for Jewish settlement. The JNF is a quasi-governmental, non-profit organisation...
. Some have accused Mazuz of incompliance with Israel's image as a Jewish state
Jewish state
A homeland for the Jewish people was an idea that rose to the fore in the 19th century in the wake of growing anti-Semitism and Jewish assimilation. Jewish emancipation in Europe paved the way for two ideological solutions to the Jewish Question: cultural assimilation, as envisaged by Moses...
.
Mazuz has come under criticism from human rights groups for allowing Israeli police to employ violence against demonstrators in the evacuation of Amona
Amona
Amona is an Israeli settlement in the central West Bank, on a hill overlooking Ofra. Located within the municipal boundaries of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, the village was founded in 1997 on a hilltop of privately owned Palestinian land and inhabited by young settlers from Ofra.By late...
.
A resident of Jerusalem, he is married with two children.