43 Facts About Yariv Levin

Yariv Gideon Levin is an Israeli lawyer and politician who serves as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice.

Yariv Levin served as Speaker of the Knesset in December 2022, previously serving that role from 2020 to 2021.

Yariv Levin currently serves as a member of Knesset for Likud, and previously held the posts of Minister of Internal Security, Minister of Tourism, and Minister of Aliyah and Integration.

Yariv Levin has refused to acknowledge Supreme Court Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit since his appointment in 2025, in what has been branded a constitutional crisis.

Yariv Levin was born in Jerusalem to Gail and Aryeh Yariv Levin, an Israel Prize laureate for linguistics.

Yariv Levin gained an LLB from the Hebrew University, and worked as a lawyer in the field of civil-commercial law.

Yariv Levin married Yifat, daughter of former Knesset Member Ya'akov Shamai.

Yariv Levin took part in establishing the New Young Lawyers Faction, known as Mahatz, which participated in internal elections for Israel Bar Association' institutions in 1999.

Yariv Levin, who headed the Faction list, was elected to represent the faction on the National Council and the Jerusalem District Committee.

Yariv Levin was appointed Head of the Bar Association's salaried lawyers committee.

Yariv Levin was among the initiators of the survey examining the conduct of judges in the courtrooms.

Yariv Levin began his public activities in Likud's student faction at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he served as Spokesman and later as deputy chairman of the faction.

Yariv Levin served on a committee that supervised an internal Likud poll on the disengagement plan, and represented Members of the Knesset who opposed the plan in various legal proceedings.

Yariv Levin filed an appeal to the Supreme Court against the Prime Minister, which resulted in the appointment of a Minister of Social Welfare after a long period of time during which this position was unoccupied.

Yariv Levin ran for a spot on Likud's electoral list in the 2006 Knesset election.

Yariv Levin was assigned the 43rd slot, and failed to enter the Knesset, as Likud only won twelve seats.

Yariv Levin ran again ahead of the 2009 election, seeking a spot reserved for the Shephelah region.

Yariv Levin was elected to the 21st slot on the Likud list and was elected to the Knesset as the party won 27 seats.

Later in 2009, Yariv Levin was chosen as the Knesset's representative to the Attorney General's selection committee during the 18th Knesset.

Yariv Levin was unanimously chosen for the role again in 2013 during the 19th Knesset.

In 2010, Yariv Levin proposed the "Referendum bill", which required any transfer of Israeli territory to be approved via a referendum.

Yariv Levin then chaired a joint subcommittee of the Knesset House and Law and Justice committees that debated the bill.

Yariv Levin passed 40 laws during his first term in the Knesset.

In 2011, Yariv Levin proposed a law that multiplied defamation penalties sixfold.

Yariv Levin won the 9th largest number of votes, and was assigned the 11th slot on the party list.

Likud ultimately decided on a joint run with Yisrael Beiteinu, and Yariv Levin was given the 15th slot on the joint list.

Yariv Levin was re-elected in the 2013 Israeli legislative election.

On 18 March 2013, Yariv Levin was appointed Chairman of the Coalition.

Yariv Levin served as chairman of the House Committee from February to April of 2013 and beginning in June 2014.

On 1 January 2015, Yariv Levin became Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee from January to March of 2015 as part of a rotation agreement with previous chair Ze'ev Elkin.

Yariv Levin received the 9th most votes in the Likud primary, and was assigned the 10th slot on the party's list.

Yariv Levin was appointed Minister of Internal Security and Minister of Tourism in the new government, he resigned the former role after 11 days to make way for Gilad Erdan, a Likud member who previously refused to hold office in the new government.

Yariv Levin served as acting Minister of Aliyah and Integration from 24 December 2018 to 9 January 2019 after previous acting minister Benjamin Netanyahu was required to relinquish his ministeriial positions by a supreme court ruling.

Yariv Levin was replaced in the twenty-fourth Knesset by Mickey Levy on 13 June 2021.

Yariv Levin briefly served as speaker again in the first weeks of the twenty-fifth Knesset from 13 to 29 December 2022.

Yariv Levin's proposed changes to the judicial system sparked intense controversy, with some opposition leaders arguing that the plan amounts to an attempt at regime change and anti-government protests commencing shortly after the plan's unveiling, including near Yariv Levin's residence.

Yariv Levin fiercely defended the plan, frequently arguing that the supreme court's power to strike down legislation is un-democratic, having stated that "time after time, people who we didn't elect decide for us".

In March 2023, controversy arose when Yariv Levin was seen attending a Purim party at the home of Raffi Chaim-Kedoshim, a known criminal.

From 2023 until 2025, Yariv Levin had blocked the accession of Amit as permanent president who was nominated based on the long-standing seniority-based convention, arguing he possesses discretion regarding the committee's convening, the identity of the candidates to be presented for a vote, and the timing of such a vote, but was forced to call a vote following an unanimous High Court decision although seen as a part of the judicial reform attempt.

Amit was appointed Chief Justice on 26 January 2025, and sworn in on 13 February 2025 by Israeli president Isaac Herzog with Yariv Levin boycotting the inauguration and refusing to meet Amit in what has been branded as a constitutional crisis.

Yariv Levin opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, and believes in the right of Jews to remain in all parts of the land of Israel.

Yariv Levin has stated that Israel has an absolute right to the West Bank and advocates for gradual annexation through settlement expansion and enforcement of control while minimizing the Arab population in annexed areas.

Yariv Levin often criticizes the court system in Israel, claiming a small elite has taken over the system and tries to use it in order to define the values Israel lives by.