Israel’s Supreme Court delays activation of law that makes it harder to remove Netanyahu from office

A law that would make it harder to remove Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office must go into effect only after the next parliamentary elections, the country’s Supreme Court ruled Wednesday, saying the legislation was clearly crafted for personal reasons, AP reported. 

Israeli legislators passed the law last year as part of the government’s contentious legal overhaul plan, which sparked widespread opposition and tore open deep divisions in society. Critics said the law was designed to protect Netanyahu from being deemed unfit to rule over claims of a conflict of interest. He had been working to reshape the justice system while on trial for alleged corruption.

“The personal affairs of the sitting prime minister were not just the motive for legislating the amendment but also the dominant justification for its legislation at the time it was enacted,” wrote outgoing Chief Justice Esther Hayut. “The amendment’s promoters wanted the amendment to enter into force immediately and that it apply to the sitting prime minister.”

The next parliamentary elections are expected in 2026 but could be held before then, meaning Netanyahu is in theory exposed until then to being deemed unfit to serve. However, Israel’s attorney general, who historically has had the authority to make that call, hasn’t publicly indicated she would.

While the court did not outright strike down the law, the ruling in a 6-5 vote deepens a divide that lingers between overhaul supporters and those who view the court as a bulwark defending Israel’s democratic fundamentals.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel, an advocacy group that petitioned againt the law, welcomed the ruling and said the prime minister “cannot create a golden cage for himself” while he is on trial.

“The court in its decision restored the logic that disappeared when this despicable law was enacted,” said the group’s chairman, Eliad Shraga.

The ruling comes days after the court overturned the first major piece of the overhaul in a blow to Netanyahu’s government. The government has said the legal changes were meant to restore power to elected officials, but critics said they would upend Israel’s delicate system of checks and balances.