There's Nothing Reasonable About Israel's Judicial Overhaul

Despite massive public opposition to it, Israel's Knesset passed the so-called Reasonableness Bill today neutering the country's Supreme Court by a margin of 64-0 with the opposition boycotting the third and final vote. Decisions made by the Netanyahu government will no longer be subject to judicial scrutiny and have carte blanc to behave how they wish. There is nothing reasonable in that. 

There have been massive public demonstrations in Israel with business, labor and even military leaders publicly opposing these measures. For a time, Israel's Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant opposed the measures and was sacked by Netanyahu only to be reinstated a fortnight later. It was around this time that Bibi put the measures on hold. But clearly, he was biding his time as the measures have passed less than three months after they were paused. This time around Gallant voted in favor of the "reasonableness" measures. 

Nothing good can come of this decision which I have previously argued is motivated by Netanyahu's self-interest as a "get out of jail card" amid his ongoing bribery case. Unless the government somehow collapses and a new government is voted in, Israel is on its way to becoming an authoritarian state like Turkey and will no longer be able to claim it is the only democracy in the Middle East. 

Naturally, this will embolden who oppose Israel no matter what (i.e. the AOC and Ilhan Omars of the world). Their opposition is in bad faith, must be recognized as such and they must be vigorously called out for their anti-Semitism. 

None of this, however, changes the fact this is a self-inflicted wound by Netanyahu and his coalition which will have the further effect of doing long-term harm to its relationship with the United States with the Biden Administration calling today's developments "unfortunate." While I think it is also unfortunate Mahmoud Abbas is still President of the Palestinian Authority when his term expired in 2009, Netanyahu's stripping the judiciary of its independence is far more brazen and, as of today, Israel has effectively ceased to be a democracy. That I cannot defend.