On Monday, the Israeli Supreme Court voted 8-7 to strike down a key provision of a judicial reform law that would have limited the powers of the judiciary. The law, which was passed by the Israeli Knesset back in July of 2023, would have removed the ability of the judiciary to rule certain actions or decisions of the government as "unreasonable." Ironically, the Supreme Court ruled that a portion of the law was, in fact, unreasonable. 

In its ruling, the court said it rejected the amendment because it would deal a “severe and unprecedented blow to the core characteristics of the State of Israel as a democratic state.”

The law, which came into effect after it was passed in July, took away the court’s power to veto government decisions based on them being “unreasonable.” Vast swathes of Israel’s population opposed the change, according to opinion polls, which critics said would erode the independence of the courts and harm Israel’s democracy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led the push for the legislation early on in 2023, shortly after being sworn into his sixth term as Prime Minister in December of 2022. The legislation was considered controversial and had garnered significant national and international attention, with critics of the law saying it was far too radical. President Joe Biden even criticized the law and tried to convince Netanyahu that the law would "risk" the relationship between America and Israel. The law passed in the Knesset without a single opposition vote, as the opposition party boycotted the vote. Two members of Netanyahu's war cabinet, Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and the leader of Israel's opposition National Unity Party, Benny Gantz, both either publicly opposed the law or protested against it. 

In response to the court's ruling on Monday, Gantz stated that the decision "must be respected."

“These are not days for political arguments, there are no winners and losers today. Today we have only one common goal – to win the war together," he said. 

“After the war, we will be required to regulate the relationship between the authorities and enact a basic law that will also anchor the status of the basic laws.”

Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid posted in Hebrew on X his approval of the court's decision. 

The High Court's decision seals a difficult year of strife that tore us apart from the inside and led to the worst disaster in our history. The source of the strength of the State of Israel, the basis of Israeli strength, is the fact that we are a Jewish, democratic, liberal, law-abiding state. Today the Supreme Court faithfully fulfilled its role in protecting the citizens of Israel.

This recent ruling by Israel's top court signals more trouble for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he is facing not just his indictments for fraud, bribery, and breach of trust but a new poll that was just released showing that only 15 percent of Israelis want to keep Netanyahu in power after the war against Hamas ends. 

In the poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), 56% of those questioned said continuing the military offensive was the best way to recover the hostages, while 24% thought a swap deal including the release of thousands more Palestinian prisoners from Israel's jails would be best. But a mere 15% want Netanyahu to be prime minister once the war is over, the poll showed. His political rival and present war cabinet partner, centrist Benny Gantz, garnered support from 23% of interviewees. Around 30% named no preferred leader.

With the war against Hamas raging into its fourth month and with no real end in sight, Netanyahu has an uphill battle to fight. Not only does he need to concentrate on the total victory against Hamas that he had promised, but now he must navigate the very troubling political waters he finds himself in today, as well as his legal problems.