David Mintz דוד מינץ
Religious Zionist justice who lives in Dolev in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria, the first Supreme Court justice to reside in a Judean settlement. A consistent voice for judicial restraint and for the right of Jews to live throughout the historic Land of Israel.
Background
Born in Israel, Mintz served in the IDF as a paratrooper, studied law at Bar-Ilan University, and built a 17-year career in the Jerusalem District Court (eventually as its acting president) before his 2017 Supreme Court appointment under the Ayelet Shaked-led Selection Committee push to broaden the bench's representation. His residence in Dolev was itself a marker that the Court need not be confined to a narrow geographic or ideological band.
Notable record
- Joined the conservative dissent in the 8-7 reasonableness ruling, arguing that the elected Knesset's amendments to Basic Laws warrant the strongest presumption of validity
- Authored opinions reinforcing the legitimacy of Israeli civil administration in Judea and Samaria and the application of Israeli law to its Jewish residents
- Conservative voice on petitions challenging IDF and security operations, generally deferring to professional military judgment
- Quiet but consistent defender of religious institutions including the Chief Rabbinate's authority over personal status
Today
Sitting on the full-bench panel hearing the petition against the 2025 selection-committee amendment. Will reach mandatory retirement age in 2029.
Why it matters
His presence on the Court demonstrates that Israel's highest judicial institution has space for justices who live in and identify with the heart of the historic Jewish homeland, a measure of the genuine pluralism of Israel's democratic and Jewish life.
Cite this page
David Mintz, Justice of the Supreme Court. The State of Israel. https://thestateofisrael.com/justice/david-mintz