Israel’s Democracy Is at a Breaking Point

After firing his defense minister on Sunday for publicly opposing him, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is barreling forward with the first in a set of controversial judicial reforms that could well prompt a constitutional crisis, split the security forces, roil the economy, and spark widespread violence in the streets. If he won’t hit pause to allow tempers to cool, more responsible members of his party should.

Last week, after a phone call with US President Joe Biden, Netanyahu delayed consideration of most of the government’s reform package, including bills to limit judicial review and allow the Knesset to override court decisions. But he’s pressing for a vote on a law that would allow the governing coalition to fill the first two openings on the Supreme Court that come up during its Knesset term (further appointments would require at least one opposition vote), as well as grant it effective control over lower-court appointments.