Benjamin Netanyahu’s Knesset coalition recently passed a law that denies Israel’s Supreme Court the authority to challenge unreasonable Knesset laws, as well as government orders and practices. This is the first in a series of proposed laws that together comprise the Israeli government’s assault on democracy and the rule of law. The so-called “Reasonableness Law” was passed 64-0, with all the coalition MKs supporting it, and all of the opposition MKs leaving the plenum in protest. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Israelis are protesting outside the Israeli parliament.

In this webinar, recorded on July 24th 2023, Hadar Susskind and Susie Gelman discuss the current crisis.What does the Israeli government’s legal coup mean for Israel and for its relations with the United States? What does it mean for the dynamics of de-facto and de-jure annexation of the West Bank? What does it mean for Palestinians? What does it mean for Israel’s relationship with the diaspora and particularly for America’s Jewish community?

Susie Gelman, a graduate of Harvard University and Georgetown University Law Center, served as board chair of Israel Policy Forum from 2016 to 2023. She was recently appointed by President Biden to head the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Watch the video recording on our YouTube HERE.

Listen to the audio on our podcast, Peacecast.

Read the transcript HERE.