Federal judges generally fall into two camps. Ones who do most (if not all) public speaking from the bench and on case-related issues. And others who are more out there in the community and weigh in on issues beyond the cases and controversies before them. Judge Altman is, unabashedly so, in the latter camp. And for the past two years, his focus has been on the Israeli-Hamas conflict, where he has staunchly defended Israel’s actions in the region.
Yesterday, Fox News wrote a story about an upcoming panel at the Federalist Society convention in D.C. that he’s moderating. When asked about why he should be speaking on these issues, he said:
"Those claims, is Israel violating the laws of war? Is it an apartheid state? Does it occupy land that doesn't belong to it?" Altman said. "Those are just legal questions with legal answers, and I thought, who better than federal judges to understand what the applicable legal rule is, to adduce and find out what the relevant facts are, and then to apply the facts to the law and issue a judgment, than a federal judge."
You can read the full story here.
Thank you to Judge Altman for being unabashedly outspoken on this issue. A true patriot and a mensch.
ReplyDeleteThank God we have Roy Altman to answer these unanswerable questions…that all human rights organizations have already answered in the affirmative.
DeleteAgreed. Where would we be without him? And who better than federal judges to answer challenging foreign policy questions?
DeleteHe can say whatever he wants I guess, but he has no more standing on this issue than any other observer. In fact given public opinion he is probably hurting his own chances of elevation by talking publicly about this as a judge, which I guess shows he really believes what he is saying. A significant majority of Americans, and a huge majority of young people, disagrees with him. Israel has torched their public standing in their patron state, America. No serious person thinks that is because 60 percent of Americans suddenly became anti-semitic. They are anti-Israel, because of Israel's unrestrained massacre of Palestinians playing out on the world stage for two years straight. I like Judge Altman from what I have seen, the mensch label fits, but he isn't changing that public opinion.
ReplyDeleteWho better than a federal judge who has already taken a very clear position on this issue to say he will now just consider the facts and the law and issue a judgment. What is the point of this.
ReplyDeleteIsn't he supposed to apply the law to the facts, not the other way around?
ReplyDeleteIt’s be interesting to hear how he thinks he can get the facts in the ground in order to arrive at his predetermined legal conclusions. Israel still bars foreign journalists from Gaza, even post “cease fire”.
ReplyDeleteWill he admit the cease fire was actually a Biden plan that Bibi shot down at the behest of TRump?
ReplyDeleteListen, anti-semitism is bad. And Altman definitely believes what he’s saying. But all
ReplyDeletethis stuff is really about his political ambitions. He wants to remain in the spotlight. Speaking tours, trips, Fox News, even writing a book. This has nothing to do with judging. It’s a nice guy who has been checked out of his day job for a while now looking to see what path he has to Governor, Senator, Ambassador, what have you.
Sad he spreads dictator propaganda.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/31/opinion/trump-autocracy-democracy-report.html?unlocked_article_code=1.xk8.4DrE.N77z-kV1h35F&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
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