This Israeli government is an alliance between the right-wing Likud party and several ultra-right, ultra-nationalist, and ultra-Orthodox parties. Each has its reasons for advancing "judicial reforms," which critics call "a coup."
There are multiple laws under discussion, but their cumulative intent is to remove government policies, appointments, and legislation from oversight by the Supreme Court. With no constitution and only one legislative chamber controlled, by definition, by the ruling coalition, this means that the government of the day could, in theory, do as it pleases.
There has been a massive pushback since this all began in January 2023, and this is very encouraging for those who think Israel is democratic, and that this democracy needs to be safeguarded.
If you think, however, that Israel isn't democratic because of its implicit commitment to ruling over Palestinians in the West Bank indefinitely, this "save democracy" argument does not persuade.
Within its internationally recognized borders, Israel is democratic, and 20% of its citizens, Palestinian Muslims, Christians, or Druze, enjoy full rights, albeit with sometimes very serious exceptions. But Israel has ruled over West Bank Palestinians since 1967, and these people have no political rights at all. They are legal subjects of the Israeli military, even though Jewish settlers live alongside them, sometimes only yards away, and enjoy full rights as Israeli citizens. Gazan Palestinians are still in another category altogether.
It's tempting for Palestinian citizens of Israel to dismiss the protests as Jews fighting for Jewish rights, not everyone's civil or human rights.
I think that would be a mistake, however. Palestinian citizens must find a way to enter a dialogue with Israelis protesting the current government's judicial overhaul and find common ground. That won't be easy, as there is so much anger and mistrust. But it's necessary.
Palestinians and secular and/or politically moderate Jews can help one another if only they can figure out how to talk to each other.
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To learn more about James Ron, please visit www.jamesron.com. You can read his publications at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/James-Ron, and see his posts at www.jamesron.net, www.jamesron.org, and @James_ron01.
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