ISRAEL'S WAR WITH ITSELF

The roots of the country's fight over democracy, and where it could go next

- KARL VICK

FOR DECADES, THE THREATS THAT defined Israel arrived from without, and produced a basic cohesion. On security, Jewish Israelis spoke as one, historically giving the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) approval ratings near 90%. But the paroxysm convulsing the country in its 75th year is wholly internal. The current crisis rises not from any Arab neighbor— several of which now enjoy cordial relations with the Jewish state—but over how Jewish Israelis choose to live. The question is fraught, and appears to threaten the fabric of the nation.

Like its borders, Israel’s government structure is not fixed. It’s a parliamentary democracy without a constitution. The Prime Minister sits in the Knesset, the legislature, and the only check on the majority is the Supreme Court, which at times decides its role for itself. Now, however, the Knesset has moved to take control of the court. A law narrowly passed on July 24 that bars justices from overruling government actions. The power play, pushed by the most right-wing government in the country’s history, had already sparked 30 weeks of massive street protests at the time of the vote, with no end in sight.