Beersheba District Court President Benny Sagi died in a car accident on Highway 6. Police investigated the incident, and leaders throughout Israel mourned his death.
Be'er Sheva District Court President Benny Sagi died in a car accident highway 6– a police spokesman confirmed on Sunday evening.
The car left an open area and hit Sagi, who was riding a motorcycle, seriously injuring him.
Belly David Adom Paramedics arrived at the scene and stated that he showed no signs of life and were forced to declare him dead.
Israel Police Law enforcement officials are investigating the circumstances that led to the incident.
Israeli politicians and members of the judiciary reacted to the news of Saga's death.
Benny Sagi, pictured April 2018. (Photo: MIRIAM ALSTER/FLASH90)
“It is with shock and great sadness that I learned the news of Saga’s untimely death,” Justice Minister Yariv Levin wrote.
He was “a brilliant jurist, an exceptional judge, loved and respected by lawyers and litigants alike,” he added.
“I met Sagi when I interned at the Central District Prosecutor's Office about 20 years ago when he was a prosecutor,” said Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana.
“He was a straightforward and honest man, well versed in criminal law and had a rare ability to find ways of compromise and agreement,” he recalled.
“He was head and shoulders above others, but even as the chairman of the district court, his heart was not proud, and the modesty and humility that was so characteristic of him accompanied him even in this high position. He also had a sense of humor, which is quite rare in this profession,” continued Oana.
Herzog: “A brilliant, insightful lawyer”
“Sagi was a brilliant and insightful jurist, an outstanding judge who combined enormous professional knowledge with exceptional integrity,” commented President Isaac Hertzog.
“From afar, I was constantly impressed by the rare combination that he embodied – an authoritative judge with a moving personal story, who was known as a man of value, humble and kind-hearted, who always saw the person standing before him and strived for peace and mediation,” he added.
“Sagi was a talented and promising judge – a leader who was loved and admired by all who knew him, who achieved professional success at a young age, and his death is a great loss to the judiciary in which he served,” a judicial official said.
“Sagi was a man who stood head and shoulders above the rest. It is a testament to the uniqueness and depth of the loss that, during such a turbulent and polarized period, he was recognized as an outstanding person both as a judge and as a manager in the judiciary,” wrote Amit Becher, head of the Israeli Bar Association.
“He was a human being and I saw him as a role model and inspiration, as well as an ideal candidate for the highest positions in the judiciary. His tragic death is a loss for the IBA and for me personally,” he concluded.
“Sagi was a central and respected figure in the judiciary, a respected lawyer and public servant who acted with dedication, professionalism and deep public responsibility,” the Justice Department said.
