Basic Law

Israel’s next government must save the country before it is too late - opinion

Israel faces a historic crisis, and its next government must act urgently to restore democracy, rebuild alliances, reform society and secure the country’s future.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara arrive to cast their vote at a polling station in Jerusalem, August 17, 2026
THE KNESSET plenum meets this week. Israel’s rules of the game are not anchored in a constitution and can be changed by a simple Knesset majority, the writer notes.

Is Israel too polarized for a constitution? That’s why we need one - opinion

 Rabbi Meir Kahane at a New York news conference, Aug. 31, 1984.

Under Netanyahu, Meir Kahane’s doctrine has contaminated Likud - opinion

Opposition members of Israel's Knesset leave during a preliminary vote to establish a political commission of inquiry, December 24, 2025; Illustrative.

Knesset to High Court: Judicial-selection overhaul does not justify striking down Basic Law


Bill passes to prevent opening US consulate in Jerusalem to service Palestinians

According to the bill's explanatory section, the law only applies to new embassies, and existing embassies will remain in place.

 A road sign shows the way towards the US embassy in Jerusalem on April 19, 2024.

The haredi draft crisis that will not disappear: A look at Israel's 'Amendment No. 26'

The main haredi argument against enlisting their youth to military service is that the study of the Torah and prayers to God are more important to Israel’s security than the IDF.

 PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu attends the debate and vote on legislation regarding haredi enlistment in the military, in the Knesset plenum, last week.

Israeli government violating Basic Law by delaying state budget

The issue came up in the Knesset plenum on Wednesday during a debate over two law proposals, both by MKs from the Labor party.

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Unity leader MK Benny Gantz are seen moving to shake hands in the Knesset amid the vote on the controversial reasonableness standard bill, in Jerusalem, on Monday, July 24, 2023.

Israel is at a dangerous political junction

The overwhelming majority supporting the court’s bold and potentially perilous intervention in the Basic Law underscores a shared perspective among the judges appointed to the Supreme Court. 

 JUSTICE MINISTER Yariv Levin speaks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset plenum last month. In its decision, the High Court essentially dissolves the Knesset, irrespective of the individuals occupying its seats, the writer argues.

Israeli courts keep politics balanced - opinion

When you look past the dramatic decision to strike down a Basic Law, the ruling makes a clear and unprecedented statement about the limits of Knesset power.

 THE JUSTICES hold a High Court hearing on petitions against the reasonableness standard law, in September.

High Court votes to delay implementation of Basic Law amendment

Six out of 11 judges voted to delay the implementation.

 Hearing at the High Court of Nazareth, the Supreme Court, September 28, 2023

Weirdly, there’s nothing special about Israel’s Basic Laws - opinion

You want a judicial reform? Change the ridiculous Basic Laws setup to require a supermajority to pass and amend them.

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Unity leader MK Benny Gantz are seen moving to shake hands in the Knesset amid the vote on the controversial reasonableness standard bill, in Jerusalem, on Monday, July 24, 2023.

Why did court make reasonableness standard decision in wartime? - comment

When every day soldiers are dying and fighting side by side – Rightists and Leftists, secular and religious – the last thing the country needs is a reignition of old divisions.

Supreme Court Judge Uzi Vogelman

Why is the court striking down the reasonableness law now? - analysis

The High Court struck down a basic law for the first time, essentially killing the main achievement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed 2023 judicial reform.

 Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a vote on the reasonableness bill at the assembly hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on July 24, 2023.

The judicial reform is a wholesale uprooting of the judiciary's power - opinion

This specific amendment is not a limitation placed upon the judiciary’s power of review over acts of the executive. It is indeed the uprooting of this power.

The writer wonders whether all the High Court justices themselves understand the severity of the reasonableness standard amendment.