CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

Israel Supreme Court Strikes Down Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Move to Limit Judicial Power

Experts say that the decision could lead to a stalemate between the Israeli government and the Supreme Court as a power struggle continues.

Israel’s supreme court has struck down a law meant to limit its powers, in a ruling favored by a majority of eight judges to seven. The law was passed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, after Bibi claimed that the Supreme Court had overreached its authority and undermined the will of the voters and the country. The law for judicial reform was initially passed by parliament in July. It was part of a larger overhaul plan, which generated mass protests that brought the country close to an impasse. The court’s decision to strike down the law could lead to a battle for authority between the governing coalition and Israel’s judicial authority, and pit the government against the courts in a power struggle fierce enough to cause a constitutional crisis. Without a written constitution and only one house of Parliament, some members of Israel’s liberal democracy view the court’s decision as a roadblock toward total government power.