Spirit and Letter: Israel in Crisis

“Israel in Crisis” has led many headlines over the years. Rarely, though, has it been so self-inflicted.  I spent a considerable amount of time in Israel across a dozen-plus trips over four years.  My Israeli counterparts and I worked hand-in-hand that entire time to help prevent indiscriminate violence, work I am still proud of today.  The news from Israel over the past week has been heartbreaking to me on a personal level.  Because a few men have chosen to pursue power by favoring the letter of the law over the spirit of the law, one of the few functioning democracies in the region is on the verge of collapse. 

For those unaware, the crisis boils down to this: the Israeli Knesset (their parliament) just passed a law saying they can ignore Israel’s supreme court.  While technically there is no law saying they can’t do this, the spirit of the law clearly says otherwise.  Functionally, there is now no check on the ruling coalition’s power.  They could, for example, pass a law with a simple majority saying all elections are indefinitely postponed.  Assuming the ruling coalition maintained that position, the only way to overturn it would be through protest or violence.  Given that the last six months of protests didn’t stop Prime Minister Netanyahu from taking this step, prospects for that first path appear dark.

The opposition has already challenged the new law, and there is zero chance the supreme court will not take up the case.  I would say the odds are high that they find the new law unreasonable and strike it down.  Netanyahu has refused to say whether he would accept such a ruling.  Thus, a crisis ensues: who is correct?  Depending on where certain elements of society fall—the police, the security services, the military, etc.—one side or the other will prevail.  And unfortunately, the party that better commands the state’s monopoly on force tends to triumph in situations like this.

The situation is far more complex than a few paragraphs can relay, and the situation will likely shift prior to the supreme court’s decision and Netanyahu’s reaction.  While it may seem like a problem for “over there” instead of at home, any action that tilts the global attitude towards authoritarianism is one that should concern anyone who values their freedom.  Time will tell if this is the final crisis of Israel as we know it.