The recent ruling by the Supreme Court of Israel has invalidated a judicial reform law that received backing from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his attempts at a judicial coup. This, in turn, could spell bad news for the far-right politician that could escalate criticisms towards his government that were prominent within Israeli society even before the government launched its genocide on Palestinians in Gaza.
Back in July, the government, under Netanyahu’s guidance, introduced authoritarian legislation that curtailed judges’ authority to question the validity of existing laws. This served as just one of many proposed legislations that were originally introduced in January of 2023 which were aimed at diminishing the judiciary’s influence and reshaping it to align with Netanyahu’s allies and far-right agenda. Right-wing politicians in Israel as well as their supporters have criticized the court rulings which in some parts have limited the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. As a result, ultra-orthodox and religious zionists have accused the court of favoring and promoting left-wing causes in the country.
Despite any support from the right, attempts to undermine the judiciary sparked widespread protests that persisted for months. However, these demonstrations have largely subsided following Palestinian resistance groups launching an offensive on Israeli settlements near the border of Gaza on October 7th.
