Tally Gotliv reportedly drew parallels between security guards and the Judenräte, Jewish councils set up by the Third Reich to enforce Nazi rule on the community
August 19, 2025 12:56
Likud MK Tall Gotliv has been criticised by Israel’s Judicial Authority for reportedly comparing court staff to Jews who collaborated with the Nazis after she was thrown out of a hearing into the “Qatargate” investigation.
Gotliv attended Lod District Court this morning for a hearing relating to the release of Yonathan Urich.
Urich, a former aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu, was arrested in March in connection with the so-called “Qatargate” scandal – which saw several members of Netanyahu’s staff accused of accepting money from Qatar to advance its interests in Israel, something which they deny.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Gotliv was ejected from the courtroom by Judge Amit Michles after flaunting several requests to remain silent.
After being asked to leave, she is reported to have said: “I have parliamentary immunity.
"If the judge wants to act like [Supreme Court Chief Justice] Yitzhak Amit, who dishonoured the parliament. You can't remove me.”
Amit was appointed to the Supreme Court in February, but his confirmation was strongly opposed by some in Likud, most notably Justice Minister Yariv Levin, resulting in a bitter public row.
After stepping out of court for a break, Gotliv is reported to have yelled at security guards: “What are you, monkeys?”
And, when they attempted to escort her from the building, she allegedly yelled: “Be ashamed of yourselves, animals.
"This isn't your job. You are Judenrät.”
The Judenrät were Jewish community councils established by the Nazis in the late 1930s. Their official role was to act as the community’s representatives in dealings with the Third Reich, but they effectively worked to enforce Nazi rule in Europe’s ghettos.
The use of that term led to swift condemnation from the Judicial Authority, which regulates court proceedings in Israel.
A spokesperson said: “Personnel of the court security service, the Judicial Authority supports you.
"Continue to carry out your work faithfully and with dedication to protect the security of workers and the public, and [to] maintain public order in the courts, and not to allow anyone to divert you from fulfilling your duty.
"The Judicial Authority strongly condemns the behaviour and words of MK Gotliv, and will not tolerate any attempt to harm the proper course of hearings, or officials performing their duties."
Indeed, Levin himself launched a furious attack on his party mate, saying: “I was shocked by MK Tali Gotliv’s shameful conduct towards the security guards in the court, and I condemn it in the strongest terms.
“Comparing the security guards, the vast majority of whom are veterans of [military] combat units, to the Judenräte and calling them ‘animals’ not only does not contribute to the struggle, but is a great disgrace, [and] shows contempt for the Holocaust.
"MK Gotliv, stop embarrassing us. Apologise.”
Gotliv has been ejected from courtrooms several times in recent years after allegedly disrupting hearings, especially those related to prosecutions against government aides.
She has also previously attracted criticism for sharing a number of conspiracy theories about the Israeli state.
In 2024, she seemingly implied that the major demonstrations against the government’s contentious judicial reforms were linked to Hamas, alleging that one of the leaders of the protest movement had “communicated with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar before October 7” – a claim which Netanyahu himself condemned as “false”.
And, in 2023, she claimed that the IDF and Shin Bet were “working for terrorists”.
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