Israel's democratic credentials face more tests ahead

Protests against Netanyahu's attempt to neuter the judiciary are laudable, but not enough

- Bobby Ghosh

Israeli leaders like Mr Benjamin Netanyahu frequently trot out the specious claim that their country is the Middle East's only democracy.

And for decades, American politicians have reflexively amplified that claim without examination. Some, like former president Barack Obama, have gone further, to laud Israel as the region's only true democracy.

Both assertions are easily disproved. The pedantic argument is that there are other democracies in the region, and two of them - Turkey and Lebanon - have been around longer than Israel has existed as a modern nation.

The more pertinent point may be that, notwithstanding Mr Obama's presidential plaudits, a state that reduces 20 per cent of its population to second-class status is not a true democracy.

But events of the past few months have demonstrated that Israeli society, distinct from the Israeli state, has strong democratic credentials.

The massive rallies against Mr Netanyahu's plan to neuter the country's judicial system have been popular, peaceful and persistent.