Israel Supreme Court strikes down judicial reform law, amid government focus on Gaza war

Israel’s Supreme Court has struck down a controversial law passed by the government seeking to drastically reform the judicial system, in a move that comes amid the government’s preoccupation with its ongoing war on the Gaza Strip.

Passed by the Israeli government in July as part of a broader judicial overhaul proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition, the law sought to strip the Supreme Court of its ability to counter “unreasonable” decisions taken by the government and its ministers, effectively suppressing its judicial powers.

In a statement by the Court, it announced that eight out of 15 justices ruled in favour of nullifying the law, primarily due to the severe damage it would allegedly do to Israel’s democracy.

Since the government’s proposal and passing of the legislation, its critics and opponents have insisted that it will not only impact the state’s democratic reputation, but that it could also enable corruption and nepotism, with little to no significant ability for the judiciary to counter it.

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Protests subsequently swept throughout the country over the past year, with even former and current military and intelligence officials opposing the Netanyahu government’s attempted judicial overhaul, causing many to fear for the stability and unity of the Occupation State.

There is unlikely to be any significant government countermove to the Supreme Court’s decision in the coming weeks or months, however, as the state is embroiled in its ongoing invasion of Gaza and war against Palestinian Resistance group, Hamas.

According to reports, Israel’s leading Likud party reacted to the Supreme Court’s move by saying it was unfortunate and that it opposed “the will of the people for unity, especially during wartime”.

Mark Regev, former Israeli ambassador to the UK and current adviser to Netanyahu, echoed those sentiments to Sky News, saying that, while Netanyahu recognises that there are “differences of opinion” over the matter, it is the wrong time to focus on it. “We’re now focusing on winning this war. It’s not on the agenda of the government,” Regev said.

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