Simcha Rothman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Faction represented in the Knesset | |
| 2021– | Religious Zionist Party |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 August 1980 Bnei Brak, Israel |
Simcha Dan Rothman (Hebrew: שִׂמְחָה דָּן רוֹטְמָן, born 13 August 1980)[1] is an Israeli lawyer, right-wing activist, and politician. He is currently a member of the Knesset for the far-right Religious Zionist Party and the chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.[2]
Rothman was born into a family that had immigrated to Mandatory Palestine from Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States in the early 20th century.[3] For his mandatory military service he studied at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh via the Hesder, but was later discharged from conscription for medical reasons. He volunteered for active service, and served for 13 months [4] as a religious affairs NCO at the Military Engineering School.[5][6] After earning an LLB at Bar-Ilan University he studied for a master's degree in public law at Tel Aviv University and Northwestern University.[3]
He founded the Movement for Governability and Democracy in 2013.[3] A critic of the corruption trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, he has campaigned for legislation to allow the government to override the Supreme Court and supports immunity from prosecution for serving prime ministers.[7][3]
Prior to the 2021 Knesset elections Rothman was placed fourth on the list for the far-right Religious Zionist Party,[1] and was elected to the Knesset as the party won six seats.
In 2023, following the formation of the thirty-seventh government of Israel, Rothman was appointed chairman of the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, where he led the efforts to overhaul Israel's judiciary that sparked the 2023 Israeli judicial reform protests.[8]
On 2 June 2023 he was filmed snatching a megaphone from a protester while on an official visit to New York City.[9] The New York Police Department received a criminal harassment complaint against him, but it was closed because he was covered under diplomatic immunity.[10] Upon his return to Israel, he claimed self-defense, even though he was protected by three bodyguards at the time of the incident.[11]
On 1 November 2023, in the aftermath of the Hamas-led attack in October, it was reported that Rothman said in a Knesset subcommittee hearing that "The blood of the brothers Hallel and Yagel, may their memory be a blessing, who were murdered in Huwara, is redder than the blood of those murdered on 7 October".[12] Rothman denied the claim.[12]
Rothman is married, and has five children.[13]
