Israel’s judicial reform overturned: war overshadows the dispute over the verdict

After Israel’s Supreme Court overturned cornerstones of the judicial reform, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government is particularly criticizing the timing of the ruling. There is praise from the opposition.

Explosions over Khan Yunis. Dark smoke rises in the south of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli army continues its attacks on Hamas targets. The Israeli Supreme Court’s ruling has no immediate consequences for the war in Gaza. It is another defeat for the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Supreme Court retains its power to classify government personnel and decisions as “inappropriate.”

Netanyahu has not yet commented

Simcha Rothman wanted to change that and disempower the court. The right-wing nationalist politician is chairman of the justice committee in parliament. But he doesn’t want to hear about a defeat on army radio: “The question is whether this verdict is a failure or proof that the system needs to be reformed,” he says. “That the need is even greater than previously assumed. We will not deal with it now for one simple reason: the enemy is at our gates. Anyone who deals with the question now has lost touch with reality.”

Netanyahu has not yet personally commented on the verdict. He is currently in court on corruption charges and generally does not speak well of the judiciary. His right-wing conservative Likud party criticized the decision. From their point of view, it contradicts the people’s will for unity in times of war.

Justice Minister: Push further parts of the reform

Despite the criticism, the initial reactions do not indicate that the government will ignore the ruling. However, Justice Minister Yariv Levin quickly made it clear that he wanted to push further parts of the judicial reform.

Overall, it is about the balance of power between the judiciary and the government and parliament. And it’s about the question of what influence religion should have on politics and the judiciary.

Opposition praises the verdict

The opposition stands behind the highest judges. Opposition leader Yair Lapid praised the verdict on Israeli radio: “The judges followed the legislation. It is the only verdict that could have been made. One could have foreseen how the individual judges would decide. Now we have soldiers in the Gaza Strip , which rightly doesn’t play a role in the decision. Because there we fight together and united.”

Many of the reservists now deployed in the Gaza Strip led protests against the overhaul of the justice system in the spring and summer. Hundreds of thousands took to the streets to prevent the Supreme Court from being disempowered.

The division in Israeli society became clearly visible. President Izckak Herzog warned of a civil war and called for people to stand together.

Hagari: That’s why Hamas was able to surprise Israel so much

Army spokesman Daniel Hagari sees the dispute as one of the reasons why Hamas was able to surprise the Israeli security authorities on October 7th: “One can assume that the division in society and doubts about the readiness of the army are connected to the attack “, he says. “Now we concentrate on the fighting. We are focused and encounter a determined army. Reservists, artillery, air force, navy and special forces, all who were previously in the public discussion, are now working together and facing a common enemy with strength and determination opposite.”

The army and government are preparing the people of Israel for the fact that the war against Hamas will last for months. And the public debate about the consequences of the historic verdict will probably be postponed for that long.