{"id":35080,"date":"2023-03-17T10:06:20","date_gmt":"2023-03-17T14:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jewishpb.org\/fed\/?p=35080"},"modified":"2023-03-17T10:28:55","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T14:28:55","slug":"resource-to-help-you-understand-the-judicial-reforms-in-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jewishpb.org\/fed\/2023\/03\/17\/resource-to-help-you-understand-the-judicial-reforms-in-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"Resource to Help You Understand the Judicial Reforms in Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Background Information and Reading\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

On December 29, 2022, a new Israeli government, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was sworn in. You can read Jewish Federations\u2019 statement on the new government here,<\/a> and listen to a recording of our webinar: \u201cJewish Federations and the New Israeli Government.\u201d<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Israel has no written constitution, and a Basic Law meant to regulate the balance of power between the branches of government, in particular between the Knesset and the Supreme Court, has never been enacted. Therefore, the system of checks and balances between government authorities was left for the Supreme Court to establish. It did so, at least in the view of most of its justices, on the basis of Knesset legislation. Now Israel\u2019s new government is considering reforms to that system.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The proposed judicial reforms, parts of which are already at various stages of the legislative process, have generated extraordinary levels of debate in Israeli society and around the world.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Jewish Federations of North America sent a letter<\/a> to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid (original Hebrew version here<\/a>) expressing our concerns over aspects of the reforms and urging the two sides to negotiate a compromise, based on the suggestions of President Isaac Herzog. News of our letter was widely reported in the Israeli press, and shortly after the letter was delivered, Prime Minister Netanyahu openly called<\/a> for dialogue (see here<\/a>) and Opposition Leader Lapid responded in a letter<\/a> to Federations, stating that he agreed with our principles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Proposed Changes\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n