Israeli Parliament Passes Controversial Law Silencing Attorney General Amid Political Apathy

On Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset quietly passed one of the most dangerous laws in the country's history, known as the law silencing the Attorney General, amid a general atmosphere of political fatigue and apathy within the democratic-liberal camp. The law, championed by MK Simcha Rothman, effectively strips the Attorney General of legal influence by making their opinions non-binding on the government and legally silencing them if their views differ from the government’s. This law is set to take effect in January 2027 but is already expected to weaken the Attorney General’s authority during the upcoming election period.

Despite the law’s profound implications for Israeli democracy, public protests were minimal and mostly driven by other issues, such as the recent law freezing arrests of draft dodgers. Opposition voices warn that relying on the Supreme Court to overturn the law is overly optimistic. The current court composition includes a conservative majority likely to distinguish between laws that are "wrong" and those that are "unconstitutional," potentially allowing this law to stand.

Political dynamics further complicate the situation. Opposition leaders like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich have expressed intentions to form a unity government including Likud, which may insist on maintaining these laws. Meanwhile, the law contains a clause requiring the government to reconsider the Attorney General’s appointment process within 30 days of its enactment, raising the possibility of the Attorney General’s dismissal by a caretaker government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Critics emphasize that the current political exhaustion and the "end of course" mood are dangerously misleading, as the erosion of democratic norms continues unchecked. They caution that the damage to Israel’s democracy may be long-lasting, similar to trends seen in Hungary and Poland, where democratic backsliding took years to reverse. The article calls for renewed public vigilance and activism to counter these developments.