Israel’s Supreme Court struck down a significant component of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul on Monday, potentially reigniting divisions in the country that existed prior to the ongoing war with Hamas. The planned overhaul sparked months of mass protests and threatened a constitutional crisis between the judicial and legislative branches of government.
The court’s decision comes in the wake of a cross-border attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel, which triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, an ally of Netanyahu and the architect of the proposed changes, criticized the court’s decision and highlighted the need for national unity during wartime.
The Supreme Court narrowly voted to overturn a law passed in July that aimed to prevent judges from striking down government decisions they deemed “unreasonable.” Critics of the law argued that it could potentially lead to corruption and improper appointments of unqualified individuals to important positions.
The court’s decision is seen as a blow to Netanyahu and his hard-line allies, who believe that the national legislature should have the final authority over legislation. The court ruled that the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, does not have unlimited power and that it can be overruled by the Supreme Court.
Netanyahu’s government could choose to ignore the ruling, which would trigger a constitutional showdown. The decision was made on the last day in office for the outgoing president of the Supreme Court, Esther Hayut.
Netanyahu and his allies introduced the judicial overhaul shortly after taking office, aiming to limit the power of judges and change the way they are appointed. Supporters argue that these changes aim to strengthen democracy, while opponents perceive it as a power grab by Netanyahu and an attack on the judiciary.
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, a good-government group, celebrated the court’s ruling as a victory for democracy. Before the war with Hamas, hundreds of thousands of Israelis protested against the government’s planned overhaul, including military reservists who threatened to stop reporting for duty.
The impact of reviving the overhaul efforts, as well as the potential for protests and refusal to report for duty by reservists, remain uncertain and may undermine national unity and military readiness.
The Supreme Court plays a critical role in Israel’s system by providing oversight, and critics of the planned overhaul view it as an attempt to consolidate power and weaken checks and balances.
“Social media scholar. Reader. Zombieaholic. Hardcore music maven. Web fanatic. Coffee practitioner. Explorer.”