benami198_Amir LevyGetty Images_netanyahu Amir LevyGetty Images

Netanyahu’s Sabotage of Israeli Democracy

Israel’s ruling coalition claims that its planned judicial overhaul is vital to rein in overly activist courts that are undermining “governability.” If it follows through with the reforms, the rule of law will be impossible to sustain.

TEL AVIV – Another front has opened in the global rise of populist authoritarianism. With their efforts to weaken Israel’s independent judiciary, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his corrupt coalition of Messianic fascists and ultra-Orthodox allies are determined to translate their anti-democratic rhetoric into authoritarian policy.

Make no mistake: Israel’s democracy has long been compromised. The brutal occupation of the Palestinian territories is fundamentally incompatible with democratic values. And Israel’s system of checks and balances is weak: Israel does not have a formal constitution or a bicameral parliament, and, in the absence of a presidential veto, the Knesset (parliament) is fully controlled by the executive branch.

But the measures Netanyahu’s new government has pursued since December would eliminate the last remaining check on its power. In particular, a proposed judicial reform would give the government greater influence over the appointment of judges, and enable an absolute parliamentary majority to reverse Supreme Court decisions striking down legislation.

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