Is Israeli democracy truly at the brink, or are media-fueled doomsday warnings premature?
On this episode of “Basic Law,” Aylana Meisel, executive director of the Israel Law and Liberty Forum, sits down with Ran Baratz, political scientist and former senior government official, to cut through the chaos and explain what’s happening inside Israel’s legal, political and security institutions.
In this episode:
- The growing clash between Israel’s elected officials and its entrenched bureaucracy
- How Israel’s security services gained unprecedented independence from political oversight
- The unique Israeli definitions of terms like “rule of law” and “judicial independence”
- The origins of Israel’s judicial revolution and how it shaped a new political culture
- Whether fears of a looming Israeli civil war are justified or just political theater
They also discuss the long-term solutions needed to restore checks and balances, including the possibility of creating a constitutional court to supervise the judiciary itself.
If you want to understand the deeper forces at play in Israeli democracy and what must happen to secure Israel’s future, this is a must-watch conversation.
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JNS will host its inaugural International Policy Summit on Monday, April 28, 2025. This daylong event will convene government officials, policymakers, diplomats, security experts, leaders of pro-Israel organizations, and influencers for vital discussions aimed at addressing Israel’s critical challenges and opportunities in a post-Oct. 7 world.
Registration at this point is for invitees only. However, you can submit a request for registration at the following link.