Constitutional Crisis: Israeli Government Defies Supreme Court Ruling on Parliamentary Council

Israel’s government has announced it will not comply with a Supreme Court decision that reinstated the Knesset’s Second Authority council to function. In an official statement, the government declared that any decisions or appointments made by the council will be annulled, stating that “a ruling that contradicts the law will not be recognised”. The defiant position represents an unprecedented challenge to the authority of Israel’s highest court.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attacked the Supreme Court sharply, accusing it of overreach. “Concentration of power does not grant authority to erase explicit threshold conditions,” he said, dismissing council decisions as “worthless as onion skin”. The comments underscore deep tensions between the current government and the judiciary over the scope of their respective powers.

The Second Authority council, which serves oversight functions within Israel’s parliament, had been suspended by the government. The Supreme Court’s decision to restore it prompted the government’s refusal to implement the ruling, creating a serious constitutional standoff. This marks one of the most significant clashes between the executive branch and the judiciary in recent Israeli history, raising questions about the rule of law and the separation of powers.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.