Current Israel crisis as opportunity for dialogue
Dr Suzie Navot said what is happening in Israel is part of a broader trend, with populist leaders gradually dismantling democratic structures.
Israel faces the prospect of becoming a much less democratic nation if the government continues down its current path of judicial reform, according to Israeli constitutional expert Dr Suzie Navot.
The professor of constitutional law and vice-president of research at the Israeli Democracy Institute spoke at UIA’s Israel Update event via Zoom earlier this week.
She said what is happening in Israel is part of a broader trend of democratic erosion, with populist leaders gradually dismantling democratic structures.
“Every institution that is currently professional, and neutral, and objective and independent will politicise, and they are just following the protocol that is well known from Hungary and Poland, countries that were democracies, but are not democracies anymore,” she said.
Navot said the constitutional structure of Israel, which has a set of Basic Laws rather than a formal written constitution, exposes it to the danger of democratic erosion.
“They’re very easy to amend, a simple majority of 61 out of 120 is enough … to enact a new basic law. It’s not a real constitution like the Australian one,” she said.
Navot remains optimistic though, citing the democratic spirit of the Israeli people.
She sees the current crisis as an opportunity for dialogue and consensus-building, and a chance to complete the constitution and protect human rights.
The Supreme Court will hear the case against the legislation blocking the High Court in Israel from using the concept of reasonableness in their deliberations on September 12, with all 15 judges sitting in on the case, underscoring its significance.
Navot believes that the court’s decision could set a precedent for the future of Israel’s democracy.
UIA’s Israel Updates – which launched in April 2020 – include a unique analysis of the latest events in Israel by UIA CEO Yair Miller and UIA executive directors and shlichim Daniel Tuksar (Vic) and Jasmine Malul (NSW), as well as a Q&A session with audience members.
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