The path forward is clear: well-timed and measured reform that brings Israel’s judicial system closer to accepted democratic norms while maintaining appropriate checks and balances.
The fact that he has never visited as IDF chief also explains why Halevi's trip is a full three days, whereas typically, such a trip might only be one or two days.
The new bill is based on a joint proposal by Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and is expected to pass into law by the end of February.
The initial bill was approved for its second and third reading in March 2023, but was frozen after mass protests broke out in the wake of former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s warning.
Sa'ar and Levin pitched the proposal as "evolutionary and not revolutionary," but according to Mandelblit, the proposal was indeed revolutionary.
The findings of the conference continue to shed light on the deep division within Israeli society over proposed judicial reforms, with the majority concerned about maintaining checks and balances.
The judicial selection process is complex, involving input by judges, the Israel Bar Association, and Knesset.
Many Israelis are hungry for leaders free from the straitjacket of ideology, untainted by the cynicism of cutthroat politics, and driven by integrity and love of country.
Levin’s 2023 proposal would have given the government a majority on the committee and, thus, the power to appoint judges as it saw fit.
Israel's record-high emigration isn't just about war and economics – it's about a deeper crisis of democracy that only constitutional reform can solve.
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