The Israeli Law Professors’ Forum for Democracy issues a severe warning that the combination of legal measures, promoted by Israel’s own government in recent weeks, amounts to an attack on the democratic character of the State of Israel, which is unprecedented in its intensity and scope. They threaten the rule of law, the separation of powers, the stability of the democratic regime, freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and human and civil rights to an extent which creates a severe and unprecedented threat to the ability of Israel to remain a properly constituted democracy.
The Forum indicates four main spheres at which the government’s threat to democracy are observable: (1) Radical transformation of the constitutional structure of the state, in order to increase the strength of the government and its ministers and to undermine the independence of the non-political, professional institutions, whose function it is to ensure that the government acts in accordance with the law for the benefit of all. (2) Restrictions on the freedom of expression and undermining of equal elections, in order to shrink Israel’s marketplace of ideas and increase the strength of the government in the coming elections. (3) Promotion of a series of policy measures characterized by their violation of the principle of equality and rejection of the state’s obligation to treat all its citizens without discrimination. (4) Government’s management of the war and the hostage crisis, which involves extreme violation of human rights in a variety of contexts, without giving sufficient public account or justification for governmental policy.
The Forum calls upon all those to whom the future of Israel is important, to pursue every available lawful avenue with a view to preventing the realization of the dangers inherent to the measures being taken by the government and the coalition at various levels.
For the full version of the Forum's paper:
Comments