The aim of this article isn’t to sway the reader one way or another regarding the sweeping judicial reforms proposed by the new government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We have published plenty of other articles that take a principled stance on the matter.

Rather, we want to present Israel Today readers with a selection of what leading voices in the Jewish state are saying about the reforms, and how their words are fueling the current debate.

Restoring the Balance of Power

Supporters of the sweeping judicial reforms proposed by the Netanyahu government insist that not only is there a clear mandate to implement these changes, but that they are necessary to restore the proper balance of power.

In an open letter 100 Israeli lawyers argued the following:

“For many years now, the Israeli justice system has assumed powers that do not belong to it by law, powers that violated the balance between the three authorities, and placed the judiciary above the other two [ie. legislative and executive], contrary to the democratic principles on which the...