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Israeli politics & society

Key background
  • The State of Israel was founded in 1948 with its foundational document being its Declaration of Independence. This declaration confirmed Israel’s nature as a Jewish and democratic state where all citizens were viewed as equals before the law, and freedom of conscience, worship, education, and culture were to be guaranteed.
  • Israel’s constitution is uncodified, but practically oriented towards a number of “Basic Laws” concerning state institutions and rights. They can only be overturned by a supermajority vote in the Knesset.
  • Similarly to the UK, Israeli government has three branches: the legislature (Knesset), judiciary, and executive (cabinet lead by the Prime Minister). The President is elected by members of the Knesset for a single seven-year term and acts as its head of state, but this role is almost entirely ceremonial.
  • Israel uses pure proportional representation to elect its MKs. As this functionally precludes any one party securing an outright majority, Israel is governed by coalitions formed by the leader of the party that generally wins the most seats.
  • The current President is Isaac Herzog, and the Prime Minister is Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud. Other coalition partners include United Torah Judaism, Shas, the Religious Zionist Party, Otzma Yehudit, New Hope, and Noam.

Updated October 21, 2024

Cabinet resignations expose tensions

United Torah Judaism (UTJ) MK Meir Porush yesterday resigned from his role as minister responsible for the annual Lag B’Omer Mount Meron festival.

  • Porush cited broken promises from coalition negotiations over his level of control over arrangements for the festival, amid a power struggle between Porush, the Shas-controlled Religious Affairs Ministry, and the festival’s previous organisers at the National Center for the Development of Holy Sites.
  • His resignation follows that of Noam Party head and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Avi Maoz on Monday.
  • Similarly claiming broken coalition negotiation pledges, Moaz said in his resignation statement that he “was shocked to find there was no serious intention of honouring the coalition deal regarding [the formation of] an authority of Jewish identity.”
  • Prime Minister Netanyahu is also facing other complaints from the ultra-Orthodox UTJ, concerning budget allocations for ultra-Orthodox education.
  • One UTJ member said, “The Likud thinks that coalition commitments are one-way, but they aren’t. If they don’t respect the agreements, we won’t be committed to the coalition. They have a majority without us. I hope they enjoy it. We won’t let the Haredi public get trampled.”
  • Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power faction is also angry over recent security policy and over plans to allow UTJ members to vote with their conscience on the bill to introduce the death penalty for terrorists.
  • Externally, the government yesterday faced fresh criticism of its plans for judicial reform from former attorney general Avichai Mandelblit and former president of the Supreme Court Dorit Beinisch.
  • Speaking at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University on Tuesday night, Mandelblit said of the plans: “We are experiencing a regime coup, not so-called legal reforms… What laws are they advancing these very days? The precise laws that will damage the independence of the legal institutions and abolish their role as democratic safeguards in the State of Israel.”
  • Meanwhile, the large-scale popular protests seen since the announcement of the reform agenda will continue today as organisers implement a ‘day of disruption’.
  • Elsewhere, the latest public polling from Channel 12 showed low levels of support for the government’s current performance.

Ministerial responsibility for the Mount Meron festival was introduced following a 2021 disaster in which a faulty walkway caused a stampede which killed 45 people at the festival.

  • Porush has not resigned from his other roles as minister for Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition, though UTJ sources are briefing that he is considering a full cabinet resignation.
  • While greater coalition discipline and cohesion might have been expected so early in the life of the government, there is no compelling evidence that it is yet seriously threatened internally.
  • Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said yesterday: “It’s clear to me that none of the members who have presented ultimatums and sent letters of resignation are thinking about bringing down the government and don’t want to destabilise it. Maybe they’re allowing themselves to act this way precisely because of the government’s stability, but that is dangerous and irresponsible.”
  • Moaz’s appointment in January was met with outrage by opposition figures angered by his record of anti-LGBTQ positions.
  • Despite Friday’s two-year state budget approved by the cabinet including an apparent 40% rise (NIS 2.5 billion or $682 million) for ultra-Orthodox education, ultra-Orthodox lawmakers are said to be pressing for the full funding parity with secular education it says it was promised in coalition negotiations.
  • A party official is quoted today as saying “The Likud thinks that coalition commitments are one-way, but they aren’t. If they don’t respect the agreements, we won’t be committed to the coalition. They have a majority without us. I hope they enjoy it. We won’t let the Haredi public get trampled.”
  • Ben Gvir is known to oppose the restrained security response to recent Palestinian terror, with the Security Cabinet not yet convened since two separate attacks saw three Israelis killed in the last week.
  • Prior to and following Sunday’s Aqaba summit, and in anticipation of Ramadan, Israel has responded to US-brokered efforts to reduce tensions and allow the Palestinian Authority the opportunity to reassert some control in the West Bank.
  • Ben Gvir is also said to be angered that he wasn’t briefed on the summit in advance, with Netanyahu keeping the circle of senior security decision-makers small and circumventing the National Security minister.
  • Netanyahu has long opposed moves to introduce the death penalty for terrorists.
  • Mandelblit, formerly a close associate of Netanyahu, called on his successor as Attorney General and the High Court to annul legislation threatening Israel’s “liberal democratic” nature. To do so would not only be their right, he said, but their democratic duty.
  • Channel 12’s poll showed public satisfaction with the government at 33% on the economy and 24% on personal security.
  • Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, and Smotrich’s personal approval ratings were at 35, 32, and 30% respectively.

The Constitution, Law and Justice Committee is set to vote today on two elements of the judicial reforms restricting judicial review.

  • The reforms will then pass to the Knesset plenum for a first reading, possibly as early as next week.
  • Two other reform bills which have already passed a first plenum reading are also set to be allocated to committees:
    • The so-called “Deri Law”, restricting the High Court’s ability to overrule ministerial appointments.
    • A bill reducing the authority of the State Attorney’s office over the Police Internal Investigations Department, in preference to the Justice Ministry.
  • An initial reading is also expected of a bill reducing the circumstances under which the recusal of a sitting Prime Minister can be ordered.

February 22, 2023

Netanyahu calls for dialogue over judicial reform

 Last night Prime Minister Netanyahu released a public statement calling for dialogue.

  • Netanyahu said, “I hear the voices of the people. I hear those who are praising, and I also hear those who are concerned. When there are disagreements among us, it is possible and necessary to talk in order to reach agreements or at least reduce the disagreements among us. It is within reach.”
  • He added, “Come and let’s talk, here and now, with neither pre-conditions nor excuses, so that together we might achieve broad agreement for the good of all Israeli citizens, and for the good of our country.”
  • Leader of the Opposition Lapid responded, “Mr. Netanyahu. Now isn’t the time for phony slogans and spins. Instead of making statements to the media, call the president, tell him you are stopping all legislative processes and are beginning dialogue based on the president’s proposal. Citizens of Israel, I have no pleasant way to say this: Prime Minister Netanyahu is lying. We have been trying to hold talks with them for many weeks now. The President pleaded with them to stop the legislation and to engage in dialogue. The Americans asked them to stop the legislation and hold talks, and the entire people of Israel are asking the government to prevent a terrible rift in the people, to stop this frenzy and hold talks. Instead, they are pushing forwards with hasty, irresponsible and anti-democratic legislation, which seriously harms the economy and security.”

On Monday night the Knesset passed the first two bills of the judicial reform in their first readings.

  • The first bill changes the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee to grant the coalition an in-build majority.
  • The second amendment will prevent the High Court of Justice from either discussing or striking down basic laws.
  • Both amendments passed by a 63:47 majority.
  • The vote was conducted in a stormy atmosphere. During the vote, members of the opposition chanted, ‘Shame, shame,’ and cried out ‘against’ in unison each time a member of the opposition was called on to vote.  

Following the vote the public atmosphere remains tense and divided.

  • Despite numerous calls for dialogue there is a significant lack of trust and currently no mechanism to bring the sides together.
  • President Herzog had called to halt the process and facilitate dialogue, but his deadline to stop before the first reading has now passed.  Reflecting on the vote Herzog called out, “the grief that accompanies it is because of the danger to Israel’s unity.”
  • Herzog continued, “I think it’s time to reach out and have a brave, open and honest conversation, because the price is not worth it. I think that the greater power, the greater national responsibility, is always in the hands of the people who govern and are leading the revolution or are leading the move. That’s why they need to think of ways in which they can build trust with the opposition.”
  • According to the latest polling by the Israel Democracy Institute 66 per cent of Israelis think the Supreme Court should have the power to strike down a law if it is incompatible with the Basic Laws. Even among voters for the coalition 44 per cent support this idea.
  • Regarding the Judicial Selection Committee, 63 percent of the public support the current balance that requires agreement between politicians and the judges. Among voters for the Likud party, only 39 per cent support the proposed changes.
  • Channel 13 News ran a poll (less than three months after the last election), asking if elections were held today, which party would you vote for?  The Likud fell from 32 seats (they currently hold) to 27.  Overall, the current coalition would lose it majority receiving only 56 seats, whilst the last (Lapid-Bennett) coalition would have 55 seats. The Arab parties, Hadash-Ta’al and Balad, receive 9 seats between them.

Later today the Knesset is expected to vote in a preliminary reading on the override clause, a bill that would allow the Knesset to override High Court of Justice rulings by means of a 61-seat majority.

  • There are also two other bills are also expected to be introduced today for a preliminary reading:
    • The so-called ‘Deri 2 bill’, which would prevent the High Court of Justice from intervening in ministerial appointments,
    • A bill that would subordinate the Police Internal Investigations Department to the justice minister and would allow it also to investigate state prosecutors.
  • However, the coalition does not intend to push forward the two bills that it passed on Monday night so as keep the possibility of dialogue open.

February 20, 2023

Massive protests anticipated as voting begins on judicial reform

Left-wing Israelis protest against the current Israeli government and their planned judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv on February 18, 2023. Photo by Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90 *** Local Caption *** שמאל מחאה תל אביב הפגנה רפורמה משפטית מפגינים

The coalition is expected to present the first parts of the judicial reform bill and to vote on its first reading today.

  • Over the weekend Justice Minister Yariv Levin said, “We’re proceeding to advance the reform without stopping for even a minute, nor are we prepared to suspend it for even a second.”
  • Today’s vote will be on two proposed amendments to Basic Law: Legislation. The first seeks to change the composition of the Judges Selection Committee to grant the coalition an in-build majority.
  • The second amendment will prevent the High Court of Justice from either discussing or striking down basic laws.
  • This morning protests have already begun, including outside the homes of various members of the coalition.
  • On Saturday night an estimated 200,000 people protested in Tel Aviv and at dozens of other cities across Israel. This was the protests’ seventh consecutive week.
  • In Jerusalem, in parallel to the usual demonstration, there was a right wing protest against the reforms attended by hundreds of people. One of the key speakers was former head of Shin Bet Security Service Yoram Cohen. He told the crowd, “It appears that the purpose of the proposed judicial reform isn’t to improve the justice system but to neutralise it. In the absence of a constitution, the Supreme Court is the only stronghold protecting the rights of citizens of the state against injurious decisions by the legislative branch and the executive branch.”
  • Cohen continued, “The reform, should all its components be enacted, will change Israel from a ‘democratic country’ into a country that isn’t that, and will severely damage our country’s character.”
  • Today’s protest outside parliament is expected to include a broad cross section of civil society including: doctors, lawyers, high-tech employees, architects, university students and lecturers,  and LGBTQ organisations.
  • Last night Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke to the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organisations. He said at the start: “In case you haven’t noticed, Israel is in the midst of a little thing on judicial reform. I’d like to speak to you on it at length and to tell you why you shouldn’t worry. But for the moment, I’m prevented from doing that because I’ve been given a gag order. I’m not making this up. I’ve been given a gag order. After all, who am I? I’m just the prime minister of Israel. What have I got to say about this thing that is gripping the nation. It is patently ridiculous. I hope you notice the grotesqueness of the situation, including President Herzog and one of the leading members of the opposition and calls for my intervention.”

Context: It appears the two sides are entrenched in their positions as the legislative process moves forward apace, so the protest movement is growing.

  • Today will be the first time that a bill that is part of the judicial reform will be put to a vote in the chamber.
  • By advancing the bill, the coalition is ignoring President Herzog’s parameters that called last week to halt the process to allow for dialogue. 
  • However, Herzog is still optimistic about the chances of reaching a compromise. He said last night, “I am stating unequivocally, based on my experience and my position: we can reach agreement….in a relatively short time. Even a few days. Not years and months.”
  • The Attorney-General has prevented the Prime Minister from engaging in the reforms as they are in conflict of interest with his own trial. Specifically over the appointment of judges, that could one day hear an appeal in his case.
  • Ironically, many are looking to Netanyahu as the only figure powerful enough to reign in the legislation and dilute some of the proposed changes. There is still hope that after the first reading those changes can still be made.
  • Despite ignoring the President’s deadline, Israeli media reports that behind the scenes senior Likud officials have accused Justice Minister Levin of forcing Netanyahu into a conflict he doesn’t want. The Likud officials said that Levin has taken an extreme position, and hasn’t adopted the position that Netanyahu would like in order strike a compromise through dialogue.

Looking ahead: Beyond the first reading of the bill that is expected to begin this evening, the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee will continue to meet throughout this week.

  • The next bill on the committee’s agenda would allow for a regular law to be struck down only by a unanimous vote of the entire Supreme Court (15/15), and only if “the law clearly contradicts a provision enshrined in a basic law.”
  • On Wednesday the committee will hold a classified meeting to discuss the international repercussions of the judicial reform.
  • Also Wednesday the “second Deri bill” will be put to a vote in a preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum. That amendment is designed to allow Deri to be reinstated as a cabinet minister.
  • Another amendment, which will subordinate the Police Internal Investigations Department to the justice minister, will also be put to a vote on Wednesday. This is a private members bill that was postponed last week by the Likud’s chief whip to allow time for the presidents call for dialogue.

February 15, 2023

Herzog mediating judicial reform dialogue

President Isaac Herzog held a series of meetings last night at his private home in Tel Aviv with leaders of the opposition and one of the main proponents of the proposed reforms.

  • He first met with Leader of the Opposition Yair Lapid. Following the meeting Lapid thanked the president for his efforts and highlighted, “the importance of reaching broad consensus and preventing a split among the people.”
  • He then met with MK Simcha Rothman, the chair of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee. He also thanked the president for, “his willingness to work day and night to reach broad consensus on repairing the justice system.”
  • The final meeting last night was with MK Benny Gantz, the leader of the National Unity Party. He said afterwards, “I presented the president with the central tenets of the necessary reform. First, the legislation  must stop, the justice system must not be politicised and we must promote a comprehensive step that includes passing Basic Law: Legislation and arrange the balance between the branches.”
  • Earlier this week Prime Minister Netanyahu met with Justice Minister Levin for four hours late into the night. However Netanyahu did not issue any statement, as formally he must avoid involvement in judicial reform due to a conflict of interests.

The sides agreed to meet with the president but not yet for direct talks. The opposition are demanding the legislative process be frozen to allow for talks, whilst the government has called for talks with no preconditions.

  • The talks followed a mass protest rally outside the Knesset on Monday, which saw an estimated over 100,000 Israelis protesting against the proposed changes.
  • On Sunday the president presented his compromise proposals. Some of which may be acceptable to both sides. For example, when it comes to legislating basic laws (which form the foundation of Israel’s unwritten constitution) they could agree to add a fourth vote. Three readings (like a regular law) by the incumbent Knesset and another in the Knesset that is elected after it.
  • Another possible compromise relates to the courts use of “reasonability.” Instead of removing it completely its scope could be defined and reduced.
  • There currently seems to be no consensus on changes to the makeup of the Judges Selection Committee, with the coalition continuing to demand changes that give the government a built-in majority. However, they could accept that one of the two public figures who sit on the committee be chosen by the president of the Supreme Court.
  • Regarding the override clause, Rothman is so far unwilling to show any flexibility and is insisting on a 61-vote majority override clause.
  • Behind the scenes there is speculation that not all Likud MKs agree with the proposed changes and although they are not speaking out publicly, they are also not defending it either.
  • There is also concern over the economic impact of the changes.  The heads of Israeli banks warned Finance Minister Smotrich, “money is leaving Israel at a rate that is ten times faster than in normal times” and called for a halt to the reform legislation.
  • Netanyahu has also sought to allay the fears of the big international banks, particularly how the reforms may effect Israel’s credit rating.
  • Ultimately, despite his own legal predicament, it may be Netanyahu himself who will insist the proposed changes are moderated.
  • In parallel the “second Deri bill” which prevents the courts ability to interfere on ministerial appointments is expected to be voted on later today.
  • The first reading on two bills relating to the makeup of the judges selection committee and preventing the High Court to rule on basic laws, have been postponed till next week.
  • Aides to the president have expressed “cautious optimism” that a compromise can still be found.

February 13, 2023

Herzog urges dialogue over judicial reform

President Herzog presented five principles for dialogue about the proposed reform, with the goal of reaching a “broad agreement.”

  • As a first stage he called for the government to show restraint in passing the new legislation in its first reading. In fact prior to his speech last night, Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced he was delaying the vote, scheduled for this afternoon till next Wednesday.
  • The president’s second principle relates to the court’s workload and the unfavourable ratio of judges to citizens. He said the drawn out processes, “damaged efficiency, quality and public trust in the system.”
  • The president agreed with reformers in criticising the lack of diversity among the judiciary, saying “The fact that there aren’t enough Mizrahi (Jews of eastern origin) justices on the Supreme Court has troubled me for many years.”
  • Relating to the government’s plans to change the Judges Selection Committee, the President said the changes should reflect equality among all parts of Israeli society. He proposed that none of the three branches of government should enjoy and automatic majority on the committee, and that each one should instead have equal representation, as well as public representatives who are to be chosen in an agreement between the justice minister and the Supreme Court president.
  • The president also spoke about grounds of reasonability, saying, “There is room for use of those grounds, which today is restricted to cases of extreme unreasonableness. I believe that the parties can and need to reach a broad agreement on that issue too.”
  • In response to the speech Justice Minister Levin said, “The president’s proposal contains positive elements, and it has elements that perpetuate the improper existing situation. As I have said the entire time, I am prepared and wish to engage in genuine dialogue with the members of the opposition who agree to that,” however added, “no linkage should be made between dialogue and moving forward with the legislative process.”

The President believes the five principles above are the starting point, with the emphasis on maintaining unity within the country.

  • For the sixth week running protesters demonstrated in Tel Aviv and across the country on Saturday night. Protest organisers claimed overall 250,000 people participated in the demonstrations.
  • Over the weekend more groups sent letters and issued statements warning against aspects of the reforms. Former heads of the National Security Council wrote to the Speaker of the Knesset warning, “that the force of the societal and political clash is endangering Israel’s social resilience.” They called on the leaders of coalition and opposition parties, “to enter into serious talks without preconditions and to them to reach an agreement on the powers between the legislative, executive and judicial branches.” Notable among the signatories was Yossi Cohen who went on to lead the Mossad and is considered a close ally of the prime minister. Similarly, Yaakov Amidror and Yaakov Nagel – both of whom have also worked closely with Netanyahu – were also among the eleven signatories.
  • A group of 18 Retired Supreme Court justices’ released a harsher statement, calling the proposed changes, “a serious threat not only to the justice system but also to the substance of the regime and to our way of life, and especially to the possibility of defending the basic rights of every individual in a fair and effective way. We feel we have a responsibility to warn about this danger before it comes to pass. The changes that have been presented are causing a serious and dangerous polarisation in society and they could bring disaster on Israel.”
  • In addition a group of seven Nobel Prize winners also released a letter suggesting the proposed changes would “have clear negative impacts on research and institutions of higher education, which are the country’s economic and security engine and ensure its ongoing existence.” Their letter noted that “countries where the political regime set the agenda for research and higher education”, such as Turkey, Poland and Hungary, “lost their scientific excellence.”

In parallel to the judicial debate, there remains heighted concern over the security situation, following Friday’s terrorist ramming attack in northern Jerusalem that resulted in two children and a 20-year-old student killed. This took the Israeli civilian deaths to 10 victims of terror attacks in the last two weeks.

  • In response to the attack security forces sealed the home owned by the family of the terrorist in the A-Tur neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. In addition, the security cabinet decided to legalise nine outposts in the West Bank in response to the recent terror attacks in Jerusalem. Minister Ben Gvir came to the meeting requesting the legalisation of 77 outposts.
  • Four rockets were fired this morning out of the Gaza Strip. One landed in an open field and the other three exploded in mid-air, without being intercepted. No one was injured and no damage was caused.
  • In retaliation, IDF tanks attacked Hamas military positions on the Gaza border. Earlier Israeli Air Force targeted an underground rocket factory in the central Gaza Strip. That attack was carried out in retaliation for the rocket that was fired and intercepted on Saturday.

Leaders of the protest movements are today holding widespread strikes.

  • This morning a mass prayer “to save democracy” is being held at the Western Wall.
  • The main protest will be outside the Knesset, at 1200 (local time) it is expected to continue throughout the day and will include a mix of speeches and musical performances, with tens of thousands expected to attend.
  • Inside the Knesset the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee will hold it vote today on a bill changing the composition of the Judges Selection Committee and to deny the High Court of Justice ability to intervene or reject basic laws. The first reading in the Plenum will be delayed till next week.

February 10, 2023

Judicial Reform background

Israel’s new coalition government is committed to a programme of wide-ranging judicial reform designed to limit the power and independence of the Israeli judiciary. The speed and intensity with which the process has begun has proven hugely contentious and divisive, with Israel riven by dispute and fracture regarding the issue.

However, although the current crisis is unprecedented, it can be understood as the culmination of long-held Israeli differences on the proper role of the judiciary.

Arguments over Judicial Reform
Both reformers and their opponents assert that theirs is a campaign for the salvation of Israeli democracy.

Reformers have long argued that a democratic deficit is produced by an unelected judiciary capable of overruling the decisions of democratically elected politicians. They claim that since the so-called “judicial revolution” of the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Aharon Barak in the early 1990s it has been engaged in “activist” overreach. Examples given often include: judgements made in 2012 and 2017 ruling that compromises reached with ultra-Orthodox parties over the question of ultra-Orthodox service in the IDF breached principles of equality; decisions from 2013, 2014, and 2015 overruling government legislation concerning the detention and eventual resettlement of illegal migrants and asylum seekers; a 2020 ruling against the retrospective legalisation of illegal West Bank settlements on the grounds that such would constitute harm to Palestinian property, equality and dignity.

Although the Supreme Court has overruled only 20 laws out of around 1300, the nature of some of the issues concerned in such rulings led to an anti-court convergence of interests among the ultra-Orthodox, settlers, and other right-wingers. This is despite the fact that court has, on occasion, intervened in a fashion more likely to please the right-wing than the left; as, for example, in 2005 when it ruled in favour of increasing compensation for settlers evacuated following the disengagement from Gaza and some areas of the West Bank. Reformers also allege that the low figure of Supreme Court interventions is deceptive, and that the self-perpetuating domination of left-wing opinion from both judges and government legal advisors has prevented right-wing governments from even floating desired legislation, so sure are they that it would be prevented by the legal establishment.

Another complaint has been that the Israeli judiciary, and the legal establishment more broadly, functions as a self-elected and self-perpetuating “club”, whose membership is largely restricted to a liberal, Ashkenazi “elite”, and that wider participation is urgently needed to reflect the diversity of Israelis and Israeli opinion.

Opponents of the government’s proposed reforms, some of whom agree with the need for judicial reform in principle or in moderated form, argue that Israel’s democratic culture is unique. Israel possesses no second chamber, nor a written constitution, and the list system (which concentrates power over MKs to party leaders, as opposed to their being parliamentarians answerable to their constituency) ensures that the executive is generally able to exercise de facto control over a majority of the Knesset.

In this context, reform critics claim that the existing system provides for a vital separation of powers and that an independent judiciary, with partial capacity for overruling the legislature and executive, provides a crucial brake on executive power and functions as an essential guarantor of liberal democratic norms and minority rights. The system proposed by the reformers, they fear, provides for the tyranny of the majority, and a blank cheque to this and future governments, of whatever political orientation.

Critics also note that the high esteem in which Israel’s independent judiciary is held internationally functions as a protection on Israelis from subjection to the authority of international courts, and that weakening the judiciary would also weaken this protection.

The Government’s Moves
In early January 2023, Justice Minister Yariv Levin – a Likud MK and long-time proponent of judicial reform – announced the government’s reform agenda. The Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, chaired by Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, then proceeded to deliberate on and refine the details of Levin’s broad proposals. It now plans to roll out a multi-stage judicial revolution. The first elements have progressed sufficiently to hold a first committee vote concerning the makeup of the committee to appoint judges and the Supreme Court’s ability to strike down “Basic Laws” (laws holding quasi-constitutional status).

The reformers are pursuing greater political power on the Judicial Selection Committee, which appoints judges at all levels of the Israeli judicial system. At present the committee is composed of nine members: two government ministers; two other Knesset members; three Supreme Court justices; and two representatives of the Israel Bar Association. For the election of new Supreme Court justices, a majority of seven is required for a confirmation.

Under the proposed new version, the Judges Selection Committee will remain comprised of nine members, but its makeup altered to: the Supreme Court President; two retired justices appointed by the Justice Minister with the approval of the Supreme Court President; the Justice Minister; two other ministers to be determined by the government; the chairman of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee; one MK from the governing coalition; and one MK from the opposition. Additionally, the majority needed to approve the appointment of a Supreme Court judge will be reduced from seven to five. On February 8th 2023, opposition members succeeded in “running out the clock” on the committee, delaying a first vote on the Judicial Selection Committee and Basic Law reforms until the next week, allowing time for the organising of a mass protest the following Monday.

The next phase in the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee’s reform schedule will involve composing legislation stating that for the Supreme Court to disqualify non-Basic Laws, all fifteen justices must hear the appeal and vote unanimously in favour. After that, the next reform is set to concern the establishment of a Knesset override of Supreme Court decisions. At present, no such parliamentary override exists, and while moderate reformers have long suggested that a safe override could be implemented requiring, for example, two thirds of MKs or a certain percentage of opposition MKs to vote in favour, at this point the government is pursuing an override by a “simple majority” of 61 MKs.

Later reforms will include an alteration of the independent status of legal advisors to government ministers. At present, ministers are bound by the legal interpretation of their legal advisors. The new law would allow ministers to appoint their own legal counsel with a limited advisory role. The abolition of the Supreme Court’s ability to overrule administrative decisions of the government on the grounds of “(un)reasonableness” will also be pursued. (The court cannot strike down Knesset legislation on these grounds.)

The government and Supreme Court clashed on the reasonableness question early after Levin’s announcements, with justices voting 10-1 to bar Shas leader Aryeh Deri from being appointed Finance Minister. The judges’ decision was based partly on the reasonableness principle, and partly on their conclusion that Deri had lied to the Israeli magistrate’s court when accepting a plea deal for a 2021 financial conviction which included the guarantee that he would retire from public life. The verdict required that Netanyahu fire Deri, though coalition figures pledged his return and argued that the appointment of cabinet members is a perfect example of court overreach of on matters that should be the sole purview of the government. Deri’s return could conceivably be facilitated by removal of the grounds of reasonability, but the barring of striking down Basic Laws could, if applied retrospectively, also be used. In late December 2022, Basic Law: The Government was modified to allow for a convicted felon to serve as a minister as long as their offence had not been punished with a custodial sentence.

Backlash to the Reforms
Opposition to the proposed reforms has been intensive since Levin’s announcement. Regular protests have been held on Saturday evenings throughout January and early February, while a number of high-profile Israelis have made public interventions. And, while pushback from Supreme Court chief justice Esther Hayut and from the political opposition was to be expected, the variety of sectors of Israeli society from which reform critics have been drawn has also been striking.

Bank of Israel Governor Prof. Amir Yaron warned Netanyahu in late January of the likely negative economic impact of the reforms, citing a probable decline in foreign investment and damage to Israel’s international credit rating. His warnings came days after two of his predecessors, Karnit Flug and Jacob Frenkel, had made similar predictions. Israel’s hi-tech sector – responsible for some 15% of GDP – has also baulked, en masse, and become an influential element in the protest movement. Nine prominent hi-tech firms, including WIZ, Papaya Global, Verbit, Disruptive, and Skai have announced withdrawal of operations and funds worth billions of US dollars from Israel. Hi-tech workers have already joined protest walkouts, while over 200 companies are expected to follow venture capital firm TLV Partners’ lead in allowing employees to strike next Monday.

Medical professionals have also joined strikes; during one walkout in late January, Sheba Hospital was the only Israeli hospital operating at full capacity. Meanwhile, protests by IDF reservists have been joined by a number of formerly high-ranking officers, including former Mossad head Tamir Pardo, former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Matan Vilnai and Maj. Gen. (res.) Tal Russo. Moshe Yaalon, Ehud Barak, and Yair Golan – all former generals as well as political figures – have been at the forefront of opposition to the reforms. In a column published by Yediot Ahronot, Barak called on Israelis to engage in unprecedented levels of protest in the coming days, even suggesting that opposition MKs commit to a hunger-strike. Dozens of former Directors General of government ministries, as well as significant numbers of civil society organisations have also been vocal in opposition. Israel’s closest international allies, too, have signalled their concern.

The Process Moving Forward
The initial vote of the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on the two concrete elements of the reforms will occur next week to be followed, if affirmed, by a Knesset plenum vote on a first reading. The government’s majority in both the committee and the plenum means that an affirmative vote is certain in both cases; the best the opposition can do is to use procedural motions to delay, though they might decide that boycotting the vote is a more powerful means of symbolising their disdain.

While the usual Saturday protest will continue – including, in an unprecedented development, in the Etzion bloc settlement of Efrat – larger demonstrations are likely to be seen on Monday, outside the Knesset. Large-scale strikes are expected, though Israel’s largest labour union, the Histadrut, has so far not committed itself. Its reasoning is that judicial reform is not a labour issue, while it also remains locked in delicate negotiations with the government over a public sector pay-rise.

President Isaac Herzog has sought to pursue a mediating function, warning of the possibly irreparable damage to the unity of Israeli society if the divide over judicial reform continues. He has suggested forming a cross-parliamentary committee to consider alternative reforms more representative of an Israeli consensus, though his efforts have so far proved unsuccessful. Hayut has made similar suggestions, with the crucial caveat that any changes only become effective from the next Knesset.

Some retain hope that Netanyahu – in the past a vocal supporter of an independent judiciary – will opt to moderate the reforms after the first Knesset reading. He is, however, under pressure from within the coalition to stand firm. Senior United Torah Judaism party figures have been quoted as threatening to withdraw from the government if Netanyahu either backs down or else agrees to concessions which significantly alter the content of the reforms. While such a threat should be treated with scepticism, it is reflective of the strength of feeling from within the other factions in the coalition. Meanwhile, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, another critic of the proposed reforms, has argued, by letter to the Prime Minister, that his involvement with judicial reform is a conflict of interests given his ongoing personal legal case.

Levin has stated that these reforms are only the first stage. Speculation abounds that future reforms could include removing automatic seniority of the President of the Supreme Court, lowering the retirement age of judges, and the splitting the role of the Attorney General

February 6, 2023

Fifth week of reform protests

For the fifth consecutive week, tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated at multiple locations across Israel on Saturday night, protesting the judicial reform being advanced by the government.

  • Once again, the main demonstration was held on Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv. According to organisers, around 100,000 people turned out to demonstrate, despite the inclement weather.
  • One of the key speakers was Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai, who told the crowd: “We are determined to continue to fight for the State of Israel’s image. They’re trying to frame us as being out-of-touch instead of listening to our principled positions. I want to warn the government: if you take things to the extreme, you’re liable to produce extreme counter-reactions. This is an opportunity to reach broad agreements, and if the words end, actions will begin. We won’t be indifferent. We won’t respond with acceptance.”
  • At a second rally in Tel Aviv organised by the Movement for Quality Government at Habima Square, the former police commissioner, Roni Alsheich, related to the proposed reform, saying: “This plan doesn’t contain a single element that is designed to correct. They’re trying to remove all of the checks and balances today at once. All the power is to be given to the executive branch without any constraints. Things that are illegal will become legal within days and, if need be, they’ll be enshrined in a basic law. The proposal is a regime coup, nothing short of that. As an observant Jew I have to admit that there isn’t anything Jewish about what is being proposed at present.”
  • Yesterday, President Isaac Herzog called on the government to, “Stop the whole process for a moment, take a deep breath, allow dialogue to take place, because there is a huge majority of the nation that wants dialogue.”
  • He also called on opponents of the judicial reform to stop their incitement and threats.
  • Justice Minister Levin’s responded bluntly to the President on Channel 13: “Let there be no doubt, we will not suspend the legislation for even a minute.”

The government is prioritising judicial reform, as a consensual issue shared by all the coalition partners.

  • Both reformers and preservers are claiming to defend democracy. For the reformers it means giving extended power to elected representatives. For the protestors it’s about keeping checks on the absolute power of the majority.
  • Last month Justice Minister Yariv Levin outlined stage one of his reform proposals which include:
    • An override law that would allow the Knesset to reinstate legislation annulled by the Supreme Court, by a simple majority of 61 votes.
    • To alter the committee that selects judges, giving politicians more control.
    • Abolishing ‘reasonability’ as grounds for the court to cancel government decisions.
    • Altering the role of ministerial legal advisors, allowing ministers to appoint their own advisers.
  • President Herzog has suggested forming a cross-parliamentary committee, so that any changes can be moderated and receive wider consensual support. So far he has been rebuffed by both sides.
  • Herzog was referring to various incidents of incitement posted online over the weekend, including a 76-year-old retired air force colonel Zeev Raz who appeared to endorse a post calling for the assassination of Prime Minister Netanyahu.
  • In addition, former prime minister Ehud Barak shared an image comparing Herzog to prime minister Neville Chamberlain, as if his calls for dialogue with the government was the equivalent of appeasement of Hitler.
  • Also over the weekend J.P. Morgan, along with Barclays Bank issued new forecasting assessments that the proposed judicial reform might have a negative impact on Israel’s economic growth and its credit rating.
  • Prime Minister Netanyahu will dispatch his key ally Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to engage with the banks and credit agencies. This type of dialogue is usually handled by finance ministry officials, but due to the sensitivity Dermer – who earlier in his career served as economic attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Washington – is expected to deal with this issue.
  • Netanyahu was in Paris this weekend. Following his meeting with President Macron he met with about 60 business and corporation executives who claimed control a combined total of about €150 billion. “What they are saying about ‘investor flight’ is rubbish. We want to increase investment in Israel,” Netanyahu told them.
  • However, more prominent economists, including Nobel Prize and Israel Prize laureates, added their signatures to the more than 300 others who had already signed a public warning about the economic damage that the proposed judicial overhaul might cause.
  • In addition, over 50 CEOs of retail chains and large companies in Israel sent a letter yesterday to the political leaders calling for dialogue on the proposed reforms

This week, the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee will continue deliberations on the reforms. The objective of the committee chair, MK Simcha Rothman is to pass the entire reform by the end of the winter session in another two months’ time.

  • Some analysts have predicted that only after the bill passes in its first reading in the Knesset will genuine negotiations begin, which could include mediation by President Herzog.
  • The government also plans to introduce “the second Deri bill,” which will claim that the court can have no judicial oversight over the appointment of ministers. The aim of the bill is to allow Shas leader Aryeh Deri to be reinstated as a minister.

January 29, 2023

Attack in Neve Yaakov

Attack in Neve Yaakov: Seven people were killed and at least three others injured in a shooting attack near the Ateret Avraham synagogue in Jerusalem’s Neve Yaakov neighbourhood on Friday evening.

  • Five victims were declared dead at the scene and another two succumbed to injuries after reaching local hospitals.
  • The shooter was later named as Alqam Khayri, 21, an East Jerusalemite with no prior record of terror activity.
  • Khayri arrived at the busy synagogue, around the end of Shabbat evening prayers. He first shot an elderly woman in the street before beginning shooting at worshipers emerging from the Synagogue. He then fled the scene by car and headed for the nearby Arab neighbourhood of Beit Hanina. When faced with police officers, Khayri opened fire before being shot dead.
  • Security officials told the Walla news site that Khayri had displayed considerable skill with a weapon and that they were investigating the possibility that he had received training.

The aftermath: On Saturday, Israeli police arrested over 40 of Khayri’s friends, acquaintances, and family members.

  • Meanwhile, widespread celebrations were seen in the Gaza Strip and in several West Bank cities, including Ramallah, Nablus and Jenin.
  • A second shooting attack occurred on Saturday morning. An Israeli father and son, were said to be in a serious but stable condition after being shot near the Old City of Jerusalem.  The Palestinian attacker, who was shot and wounded was identified as a 13-year-old Muhammad Aliyat.
  • There were two more attempted shooting attacks later on Saturday: One at Almog junction close to Jericho, where the assailants gun jammed, and a second attack thwarted at the entrance to the settlement of Kedumim.
  • US President Joe Biden called Netanyahu on Friday night. “The president made clear that this was an attack against the civilised world,” and “stressed the ironclad US commitment to Israel’s security,” the White House revealed.
  • Statements of support were also forthcoming from other Israeli allies including the UK and the UAE. A Jordanian statement condemned the attack but also included a thinly-veiled criticism of the Jenin operation.
  • Organisers of the anti-government protests on Saturday night decided that the demonstrations would begin with a minute’s silence for the victims of the terror attacks and would avoid the playing of music.
  • The Security Cabinet convened on Saturday night and announced a series of measures including:
    • “National insurance rights and additional benefits for the families of terrorists that support terrorism will be revoked.”
    • “Legislation on the revocation of Israeli identity cards of the families of terrorists that support terrorism will be discussed at tomorrow’s Government meeting.”
    • “Firearm licensing will be expedited and expanded in order to enable thousands of additional citizens to carry weapons.”
    • “In response to the abhorrent attacks and the celebrations in their wake, Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided on steps to strengthen settlement that will be submitted this week.”
  • Police also fear potential price tag revenge attacks against Arab Israelis. Prime Minister Netanyahu appealed for restraint in his immediate comments. “Our hearts are with the families,” he said. “I commend the police officers who took action so quickly. We must act with determination and composure. I call on people not to take the law into their own hands.”
  • On Sunday morning the mapping and sealing of Khayri’s home was expediated ahead of its demolition.
  • Five people remain hospitalised but in stable condition following the two attacks in Jerusalem.

The death toll of seven makes the Neve Yaakov attack the deadliest suffered by Israel since 2011, and the costliest Palestinian-perpetrated attack since 2008, when an East Jerusalemite terrorist killed eight Israelis at the city’s Mercaz Harav yeshiva.

  • No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad praised it as a response to Friday’s IDF raid in Jenin in which nine Palestinians, including seven combatants, were killed.
  • The first intifada (late 1980s) was characterised as a popular uprising and the second (from 2000) was notable for being led by organised terror organisations. This latest period which began in March 2022 has neither of those features and is led by localised cells and ‘lone wolf’ attackers.
  • Security experts are divided over the effectiveness of swift demolitions of terrorist homes; whether this disincentives future attacks or encourages them.
  • Since last March there have been several deadly terror attacks that have resulted in 30 Israelis killed. In the same period 150 Palestinians have also been killed, though over 90% were engaged in some form of combat.
  • The second attack’s perpetrator being a thirteen-year-old child is particularly shocking, both as testimony to his exposure to incitement and indoctrination as well as his ease of access to an illegal weapon.

The immediate period following lone wolf attacks is one of the most tense, as in the past deadly attacks have served as increased motivation for copycat attacks.

  • Kobi Shabtai, Israel’s police commissioner, ordered officers from the elite Yamam counterterrorism unit to deploy to Jerusalem after the two attacks.
  • IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, meanwhile, ordered extra troops to be stationed in the West Bank and along its security fence.
  • US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is due to arrive in Israel on Monday. Yesterday he said, “We mourn those killed in the attack, and our thoughts are with the injured, including children. The notion of people being targeted as they leave a house of worship is abhorrent.”

January 23, 2023

Shas Leader Deri fired

  • Prime Minister Netanyahu fired Shas leader Aryeh Deri in accordance with last week’s High Court ruling.
  • In a move coordinated in advance Netanyahu handed Deri his official letter of termination at yesterday’s weekly cabinet meeting.
  • Netanyahu noted that he viewed Deri “as an anchor of experience, wisdom and responsibility” but was obliged to conform to the court ruling and  “with a heavy heart, great regret and a very grim feeling to remove you from your post as a cabinet minister.”
  • Deri reiterated his “iron commitment to the 400,000 people who elected me and Shas. No judicial decision will prevent me from serving them and representing them.”
  • A second political challenge was also evident at the cabinet meeting yesterday, when ministers from the Religious Zionist Party boycotted the meeting. They were angry over what they perceive as a violation of coalition agreements.
  • On Friday a new settler outpost “Or Haim” in the West Bank was dismantled under orders of Defence Minister Yoav Galant. The decision was made without the knowledge of Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
  • Over the weekend public demonstrations once again protested the legal reforms being advanced by the government.
  • More than 100,000 people demonstrated in Tel Aviv. The organisers deliberately did not invite any politicians, including from the opposition to address the crowd. Instead the main speaker was author David Grossman, who said that in Israel’s 75th year, the current moment is an “hour of darkness.” There were smaller demonstrations in Jerusalem, Haifa, Beer Sheva and Herzliya.
  • Despite heavy criticism of the proposed judicial reform the Wall Street Journal published an editorial supportive of the reforms
  • Deri’s reference to 400,000 Shas voters was recognised during the High Court’s hearings, however the judges made the distinction that his right to represent them in the Knesset did not include a right to sit as part of the executive branch.
  • The “Or Haim” outpost was established in memory of the late Rabbi Haim Druckman. Despite being dismantled on Friday, attempts were made again yesterday to rebuild two structures that were again taken down.
  • According to the coalition agreement, civilian affairs in the West Bank are due to be handed over to Smotrich. However, according to MK Orit Struck from the Religious Zionist Party, “There is an unreasonable foot-dragging in the transfer of powers to Minister Smotrich.”
  • Minister Ben-Gvir, who did attend the meeting, had asked Galant to hold off on the evictions and demanded equality, claiming that Civil Administration officials don’t enforce the law when Arabs build illegally. “When it comes to Jews, the Civil Administration enforces the law brutally; within hours it seeks to demolish and destroy the outpost.”
  • Galant responded saying, “illegal construction on private Palestinian areas will be removed immediately. If we hadn’t removed it today, we would have removed it on Sunday after being dressed down by the Americans. Establishing the outpost and the unpreventable clashes over it are liable to set the whole area on fire.”
  • So far the prime minister has given his full backing to Defence Minister Gallant, also perhaps signalling that he is not looking to clash with the Biden administration. According to his office: “The government supports settlement only when it is done legally and it is coordinated with the prime minister and defence officials. That was not done in this case. The prime minister will hold deliberations on this matter at the beginning of the week.”

Deri’s dismissal will go into effect tomorrow. Shas is expected to appoint existing MKs to temporarily serve as health and interior ministers.

  • Despite the dismissal Netanyahu is keen for Deri to continue to attend cabinet meetings – even the security cabinet – as an observer.
  • Deri is looking for a way to circumvent the ruling and return to his role. One option being explored is for the coalition to pass new legislation to formally prevent legal intervention into cabinet appointments as an additional component of the legal reforms being advanced.

January 20, 2023

High Court votes to bar Deri from serving as a minister

What happened: Fallout continues from the High Court’s decision on Wednesday, by a vote of 10-1, to bar Shas leader Aryeh Deri from serving as a minister.

  • The decision affirmed that allowing Deri to serve would be both “unreasonable” and in violation of the legal principle of estoppel.
  • The court did not vote to strike down the amendment itself, passed recently in the Knesset to Basic Law: Government, which intended to allow for Deri to circumvent the bar on those with a criminal conviction serving in cabinet on the grounds that his second, most recent conviction, did not involve “moral turpitude”.
  • The dissenting judge, Justice Elron, made clear that he was not voting to uphold Deri’s appointment; rather that he felt advice should be sought from the chair of the Central Elections Committee.
  • Shortly after the decision was announced, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drove to meet with Deri at his home. In his first statement after the announcement, Deri was defiantly promising to find a way to continue to serve: “When they close the door on us, we’ll get in through the window. When they close the window we’ll break through the ceiling, with God’s help.”
  • On Thursday, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara wrote to Netanyahu demanding that, in light of the court’s decision, he fire Deri from his roles as Interior and Health Minister.
  • Coalition members are angrily citing the court’s decision as evidence of the need for judicial reform. Shas officials are also stoking the flames of a Sephardi-Ashkenazi divide, by asserting – without evidence – that the court’s decision had sectarian motivations.

What comes next? The most likely outcome seems to be that Deri will either resign or be fired by Netanyahu. The government will then move for a future reinstatement of Deri by pressing ahead with its efforts at judicial reform, which include the removal of the grounds of reasonability as justification for the court intervening.

  • Reports this morning indicate that should Netanyahu equivocate, the Movement for Quality Government is planning to file a legal petition ordering him to fire Deri immediately.
  • Deri’s willingness to consider this course remains unclear, however, and he told a Sunday Shas meeting that he would not resign in the event of an adverse court decision.
  • Nor would judicial reform necessarily smooth his return. The court was careful to invoke another legal reason in its ruling, alongside reasonability. Deploying the principal of estoppel, the court upbraided Deri for going back on his commitment to the magistrate’s court, as part of his plea deal in his most recent conviction, not to seek further involvement in public life.
  • Five of the judges – including three recognised as the court’s most conservative – cited this principle as decisive. Court President Hayut declared that Deri’s dissimulation in this regard “reinforced the conclusion that this appointment clearly crosses the line.”
  • This factor complicates Deri’s potential return, since revocation of the court’s reasonability prerogative would not be sufficient to overturn its ruling. Estoppel, meanwhile, is a foundational principle of Israel’s legal system, and attempts to remove it would be risky in the extreme.
  • Some cabinet members, such as Jewish Power’s Amichai Eliyahu and United Torah Judaism’s Yisrael Eichler are calling on Netanyahu simply to ignore the court’s decision. “The High Court has no right to demand that it be obeyed — it’s a dictatorship like Putin,” Eichler said on Thursday. This is a minority view in the cabinet, however, with Likud members resigned to Netanyahu having to comply with the law as it stands before trying for reform.
  • Deri’s removal, whether by resignation or sacking, would bring its own immediate complications. By default, his health and interior briefs would pass to Netanyahu. However, Netanyahu is himself under indictment in three cases and is thus also barred from holding a ministerial portfolio.
  • Channel 12 reported a proposal that Deri replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who would then assume a cabinet role. The role of speaker would likely not face the same legal challenges, were Deri to be appointed, as a cabinet role. Deri, however, is said to consider the position too junior.
  • Some reports have speculated that Deri might consider appointing his son Yanki to his cabinet roles in in his stead. Yanki appeared to inflame these suggestions when he tweeted “No stranger will sit in his seat.” More likely scenarios are that former Covid commissioner Moshe Bar Siman Tov and former Shas minister Ariel Attias will be appointed health and interior minister respectively.
  • Some ministers have reportedly proposed a scenario whereby Deri be appointed alternate prime minister, a role which, they hope, might give him greater freedom from judicial oversight. Reports this morning suggest that this is now Deri’s preferred option.
  • The role of alternate prime minister was created by the Netanyahu-Benny Gantz government in 2020 and also used by the Bennett-Lapid government. Netanyahu had pledged to scrap it, arguing that a nation must have only one leader.
  • Deploying this gambit to retain Deri would be hugely complex and risky. The government would have to move for a no confidence vote in itself, before than presenting a new power-sharing government. Netanyahu is not keen for anyone to hold this position again.
  • Also, since the High Court has never ruled on the question of a person with a criminal conviction serving in the still new alternate prime minister role, it is likely that opponents would file a case requesting that it do so.
  • Another option said to be being mulled by Netanyahu is to strip Deri of formal ministerial position but keep him close to the decision-making process by appointing him an observer to the security cabinet and retaining him in the informal “kitchen cabinet” of close confidants to the Prime Minister. Whether this would satisfy Shas members remains to be seen. “Netanyahu knows that if Deri isn’t in the cabinet, there’s no government,” welfare minister Yaakov Margi threatened shortly before the verdict was announced.

Looking ahead: the addition of the estoppel complicates the coalition’s plan to reinstate Deri once judicial reforms are passed.

  • The court’s decision is likely to further intensify the already high tensions between the coalition and the judiciary and further exacerbate the rancorous split in Israel between supporters of the coalition and its reforms and their opponents.
  • More protests against the government are planned for tomorrow night, with organisers suggesting the possibility of an even larger demonstration than last Saturday’s, which saw 80,000-100,000 people attend.

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