Hundreds attend funeral of former Chief Justice Miriam Naor in Jerusalem

Hundreds of mourners gather to pay their last respects to former Supreme Court Chief Justice Miriam Naor – who died earlier this week aged 74 – as she is laid to rest in Sanhedria Cemetery of his native Jerusalem.

A wide range of officials attend the ceremony, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, President Isaac Herzog, current Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut, opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked and Acting Speaker of the Knesset Eitan Ginzburg.

“A little over four years ago, when she left the Supreme Court, Miriam said this: ‘Even today, as the decades have passed and I have sat in every court, I am grateful that my journey led me to be a judge,’” says Herzog. “Now that we say goodbye to you prematurely, we can fully say that you have fulfilled your role to the end. Spread the light far and wide. Future generations of Israel will remember you as the Queen of Justice.

Speaking after Herzog, Bennett begins his eulogy with a quote from Ecclesiastes: “The words of the wise, spoken in low voices, must be heard.

“That’s what Miriam Naor did. In the decades she served, her words were wise and clear, and they were heard calmly,” he said. “One of the most important judges of our time.”