What is happening in Israel

My knowledge of what is happening in Israel comes from many Israeli friends who are deeply troubled by the proposals to change the justice system. My friends are not radicals, they are lawyers and reservists and mediators.

I do not profess to be an expert on the Israeli constitution. On the other hand when my friends reach out to me expressing profound fear, I feel obliged to engage in the controversy as best I can.

My friends have been so troubled that they have taken to protesting every week against changes that increase the power of the parliament and restrict the independence of the judicial decision making.

Government ministers have lost their jobs (been sacked) for questioning the proposed changes. When dissent is silenced there is a good chance something is going wrong.

A strong and independent judiciary is an incredibly important characteristic of modern democracy. When the independence of the judiciary is weakened bad things happen.

I am neither a conservative nor a radical. As a former lawyer I celebrate that in Australia judicial appointments are mostly transparent and that judges are able to do their very difficult work without the interference of politicians.

Make up our own mind about Israel. But please do not just ignore possible attacks on judicial independence especially when proposed by politicians who have much to fear from that independence.