Israel's chief justice was struck in the face on Wednesday by a shoe thrown by a spectator in court, witnesses to the attack said. "In the middle of the proceedings, we saw a shoe fly from the public gallery. It hit the judge, Dorit Beinisch, smack between the eyes. It brought her down," attorney Tal Ron said on Israel Radio. "(The attacker) shouted 'you're corrupt, you harmed me,'" Ron said.
"Court security guards jumped on him immediately. He looked like a crazy man." Reporters in the courtroom said two shoes were thrown at Beinisch, but the second one missed. Beinisch's husband said the judge took a "tremendous blow" that knocked her off her chair. But he told the radio: "She feels better and believes she can return to continue the proceedings." The incident occurred during a hearing on the use of medical marijuana. The radio said the attacker was a 52-year-old man with a gripe about a separate case.