The Israeli Supreme Court recently ruled against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push to move ahead with a judicial overhaul, a move that would have reshaped the judiciary. The move came as a major setback for the embattled Prime Minister, who is currently embroiled in a fight for his political survival as the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group rages on.
The court ruled that Netanyahu’s plan was unconstitutional, stating that it violated the basic principles of democracy. The unpopular plan, which was reportedly pushed by Netanyahu against the wishes of the justice minister, was intended to limit the power of the Supreme Court, thus giving the Prime Minister more direct control over judicial decisions.
The Israeli court has become a major target of Netanyahu since 2014, when the court ruled against his efforts to deport African migrants to their countries of origin. In recent weeks, Netanyahu has made many attempts to rig the court system, stacking it with more conservative justices, but his efforts have continually been halted by the Supreme Court.
The court’s ruling came just as Israeli airstrikes have continued to pummel Gaza in response to rocket attacks from the Hamas militant group, resulting in an humanitarian crisis for the region. Although the Prime Minister is unlikely to give up his efforts to limit judicial oversight, the ruling is undoubtedly a major setback for him as he attempts to remain in power.
In the meantime, ordinary citizens in Israel and Gaza will continue to suffer from the ongoing violence, struck by power struggles between political leaders on both sides. Until meaningful steps are taken to bring an end to the suffering, civilians will remain the real casualties of this battle.