Debate Over Judicial Reform In Israel Raises Concerns Of Societal Division And Potential Civil War

In the days since the Knesset passed the first part of the judicial reform package put forward by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the bitterness of the debate over this issue has raised fears that Israel is on the verge of a societal crisis if not a civil war. In response to this dangerous situation, both supporters and critics of the measure have issued calls for unity.

Protesters and Israeli police officers clash during a demonstration near the Israeli Knesset on July 24, 2023 in Jerusalem, Israel. Some 20,000 anti-government protestors marched from Tel Aviv and converged in Jerusalem outside parliament as the controversial bill was being voted on, after weeks of protest against the government’s plans to restrain the judiciary. AMIR LEVY/GETTY IMAGES