The Israeli Supreme Court Just Issued Two Game-Changing Rulings

Part of what brought about the current impasse involving haredi conscription was a Supreme Court ruling eight years ago, which invalidated a possible legislative solution, and split the right. The court, the subject of so much political controversy before the war began, recently issued two more seminal rulings, which were easy for those following Israeli news from abroad to have missed. In one, the court invalidated the government’s decision to fire the head of the Shin Bet, essentially placing the internal security agency beyond civilian control. The second, which got little attention even from Israelis, also concerns the appointment of personnel. Yonatan Green explains the intricacies of both rulings and their implications for the future of Israeli democracy in conversation with Aylana Meisel-Diament. (Video, 51 minutes. Audio is available on podcast platforms.)