We are watching Israel build an authoritarian government in real time
New StatesmanJan 18, 2023
Thousands of Israelis protested outside the nation's Knesset — its state legislature — on Monday in opposition to the government's proposed judicial reform legislation that seeks to give lawmakers significantly more control over the Supreme Court.
The reforms would give the government more power over judicial appointments, which are currently made by a committee of top jurists, as well as strip the Supreme Court of its authority to review "Basic Laws" - Israel's quasi-constitution - that are approved by parliament.
This move by Netanyahu and his most extreme allies shows, despite a legitimate right-shift in the electorate, the prime minister actually has less control over his coalition than once thought. Facing scrutiny over bribery and fraud charges, the only way Netanyahu can maintain his power is by ripping apart Israel's long-standing democratic institutions and criminalizing judicial dissent. We are watching an authoritarian coup in real time.
Despite the left arguing that these judicial reform plans threaten democracy, it is actually quite the contrary. The self-appointed Israeli Supreme Court has autocratic, unchecked powers that allow it to nullify and rewrite democratically-enacted laws and policies on the basis of subjective justifications. Therefore, this move is crucial to curb the court's undemocratic excesses and protect the rule of law.
There's a 50% chance that Israel will have a national election for Knesset in 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.