Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has proposed a controversial plan to overhaul Israel’s judicial system, which has sparked widespread protests and criticism from various sectors of Israeli society. The plan consists of four main components:
- Limiting the Supreme Court’s power to strike down government decisions and laws as unreasonable, and allowing the Knesset (parliament) to override such rulings with a simple majority of 61 out of 120 members.
- Removing the Supreme Court’s authority to review the legality of Israel’s Basic Laws, which function as the country’s constitution.
- Changing the composition and procedure of the Judicial Selection Committee, which appoints Supreme Court justices, giving more influence to politicians and reducing the role of judges.
- Exempting ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties from military conscription, which is mandatory for most Israeli citizens, and preventing the Supreme Court from intervening in this matter.
Netanyahu and his allies argue that these changes are necessary to restore the balance of power between the branches of government, and to prevent unelected judges from interfering with the will of the people and the elected representatives. They also claim that the current judicial system is biased against them and their policies, especially regarding the settlement of Jewish Israelis in the occupied West Bank.
Why are IDF reservists protesting?
The judicial reform plan has faced strong opposition from many segments of Israeli society, including civil rights groups, opposition parties, former security officials, lawyers, journalists, academics, and workers. However, one of the most significant sources of resistance has come from within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the country’s military.
Thousands of IDF reservists have announced that they will refuse to report for duty if the judicial reform plan is passed, saying that they will not serve a government that undermines democracy and the rule of law. Among them are hundreds of air force pilots and navigators, whose absence from weekly refresher flights could affect the operational readiness of the IDF. The reservists have formed a group called Brothers in Arms, which represents about 10,000 soldiers.
The reservists say that they are loyal to the state of Israel and its citizens, not to any particular government or leader. They argue that the judicial reform plan would damage the common foundations of Israeli society, tear apart the people, weaken the army, and harm Israel’s security. They also express solidarity with their fellow Palestinians who live under Israeli occupation and face discrimination and oppression.
The reservists have received support from three former IDF chiefs of staff and dozens of senior security officials, who signed a letter criticizing the government’s judicial reform plan and backing the reservists’ right to protest. The letter states that “this legislation is destroying the common foundations of Israeli society, ripping the people apart, dismantling the army and inflicting fatal harm to Israel’s security.”
How has Netanyahu responded?
Netanyahu has dismissed the reservists’ protest as a political stunt orchestrated by his opponents. He has accused them of being manipulated by left-wing activists and media outlets, who he claims are spreading lies and incitement against him and his government. He has also warned that refusing to serve in the IDF is a serious offense that could lead to legal consequences.
Netanyahu has also tried to appease some of his critics by making some concessions and delaying some parts of his judicial reform plan. He has agreed to postpone the vote on the bill that would change how Supreme Court justices are appointed until October or November, after a new president is elected in Israel. He has also dropped two other bills that would have given him immunity from prosecution and allowed him to appoint loyalists to key positions in the state bureaucracy.
However, Netanyahu has insisted on moving forward with the bill that would limit the Supreme Court’s power to rule against government decisions as unreasonable, which he considers as the most important part of his judicial reform plan. He has said that he is working to reach a solution and is attentive to the concerns of the other side, but he has also defended his plan as fulfilling the will of the voter and restoring a degree of balance between the authorities.
Netanyahu has faced pressure not only from within Israel but also from abroad. US President Joe Biden has expressed his concern over Israel’s judicial reform plan, saying that it could undermine Israel’s democracy and its relations with its allies. Biden has urged Netanyahu to reconsider his plan and engage in dialogue with his opponents.
