Israel on the Brink

The Knesset’s passage of legislation yesterday to curtail the authority of Israel’s Supreme Court marks a new era for the state of Israel. The disjuncture comes not because of the legal implications alone, although they are substantial. Nor because of the economic, diplomatic, and security damage wrought in the short time since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to office, although it is considerable. Rather, the new era begins because of the damage that proceeding with the bill has done to Israeli society itself.

In March, the governing coalition led by Netanyahu paused in its effort to overhaul judicial review. Instead, it turned to administrative review—the Court’s authority to overturn actions taken by the executive branch—limiting the ability of the Court to set aside acts it deems