Israeli Supreme Court Freezes New Laws Amid Multiple Legal Challenges

Less than 24 hours after the Knesset passed a law exempting ultra-Orthodox draft dodgers from arrest, Supreme Court Justice Ofer Groskopf issued an interim injunction freezing the law. This order was issued unusually without a prior hearing, contrary to the court's usual procedure. Another law passed the same day, which reduces the Attorney General's authority and grants the government greater independence from legal advisors' opinions, is also under petition, with the court yet to decide on a freeze.

A significant recent law under scrutiny is the Police Investigations Department (Mahash) reform, which removed Mahash from the Attorney General's office, making it an independent unit under the Justice Ministry and transferring prosecution powers from the Attorney General to the department head. Petitions against this law are pending, and the court has not ruled on a freeze. Similarly, the Basic Law on Torah Study is unlikely to be frozen since it lacks operative provisions, allowing challenges only against specific actions derived from it.

The Supreme Court must also rule on the newly passed Communications Law, which faces petitions alleging procedural flaws aimed at controlling free media. In total, six Knesset laws face constitutional challenges, including a controversial amendment changing the Judicial Selection Committee's composition, which the court criticized for injecting political bias into the judiciary. Another legal reform affecting the Bar Association, which limits mandatory payments and redistributes budget control, has been frozen by the court.

Security-related laws challenged include those ending UNRWA operations in Israel, cutting benefits to parents of minor terrorists (previously struck down), banning teachers with Palestinian Authority education degrees, and the contentious Al-Jazeera law. The court has refrained from interim injunctions on the Al-Jazeera law, which is currently enforced with district court approval to block broadcasts threatening national security.

Beyond laws, the court may issue freezes on government and ministerial decisions, including petitions against shutting down the military radio station Galei Tzahal and blocking government ads in Haaretz newspaper due to its publisher's statements. Following the Knesset's dissolution, the government operates in a caretaker capacity, barred from new decisions that could bind the next government. The Supreme Court is expected to expedite rulings on petitions against caretaker government actions during the upcoming three-month election period, potentially issuing injunctions to halt decisions until final judgments are made.