How Israel Can Avoid a Constitutional Crisis

Yesterday, Israel’s supreme court—in an unprecedented plenary session—heard arguments over a recent law that removes its own ability to override executive-branch decisions on the grounds that they are “unreasonable.” The law in question is only one small portion of an intended program of judicial reform, the rest of which has yet to make it through the Knesset. The court’s ruling, expected in a few weeks’ time, could have momentous consequences, determining whether it has the authority to overturn Basic Laws, which, in Israel, function in lieu of a constitution. Haviv Rettig Gur writes: