There has never been a worse crisis in Israel’s democracy, or a greater need for reform
World,Israel,Democracy,Justice,Courts,Middle East,Polarization,Politics,Benjamin Netanyahu,Protests
Many Israelis, particularly among the Jewish majority, feel a sense of apocalyptic doom today. It is not only a few days before Tisha B’Av, the saddest day in the Jewish calendar, commemorating the destruction of the two holy temples in Jerusalem. It is also a time of immense political uncertainty in Israel.
The passage of the bill in the Knesset on Monday that prohibits the use of the standard of “extreme unreasonableness” in assessing government decisions is but the first of a series of proposed legislative acts that would strip away any meaningful form of judicial review.
The effect — and for some politicians, real intent — is to liberate the extreme right-wing government that has gained control of the legislative and executive branches in Israel from any constraint that the judiciary might seek to exercise.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition has already caused grievous damage to Israel’s democratic institutions. In response, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets to protest for an unprecedented 29 consecutive weeks under the slogan “Dem-o-krat-yah!”
