Dr. Reut Finger Desberg Proposes Building Trust to Overcome Israel's Political Polarization
In a podcast interview on "Lean Constitution" by Channel 7 and the Institute for Jewish People Policy, Dr. Reut Finger Desberg discusses the deep polarization surrounding Israel's judicial reforms and offers an alternative approach based on mutual trust and agreed-upon rules. She argues that constitutional reforms cannot be achieved through the victory of one side over another, emphasizing the need for a shared vision of Israel as both a Jewish and democratic state.
Finger Desberg, head of law and governance at the Menor Center and a lecturer at Tel Aviv University, highlights the ongoing crisis of trust between political camps. She critiques the current discourse that frames every court ruling and legislative change as a zero-sum battle, which fuels suspicion and division. Instead, she calls for moving the debate away from the courts and back to political institutions, warning that excessive reforms risk destabilizing the system.
Addressing criticism from the right toward the judiciary, she acknowledges past reform attempts but cautions against revolutionary changes driven by vengeance rather than justice. She also notes a significant gap between public perceptions of the Supreme Court and its actual rulings, pointing out that the court's composition and approach have evolved over decades.
Finger Desberg advocates for a "lean constitution" approach that establishes agreed-upon rules of the game even without full consensus on the country's future vision. She stresses that trust-building requires transparency about each side's intentions and that sensitive issues like equality and the Nation-State Law need not be zero-sum conflicts.
Challenging the conventional right-left political divide, she suggests most Israelis hold complex, nuanced views that transcend binary categories. Drawing on her background in religious Zionism and research on minority rights, she calls for a shift from tribalism to partnership, urging political culture to prioritize the state's welfare over factional loyalty. She believes the religious Zionist community can lead this change by fostering leadership committed to national unity rather than sectoral interests.
Ultimately, Finger Desberg proposes rebuilding trust as the foundation for coexistence in Israel, emphasizing that the country must find ways to live together despite disagreements rather than framing every dispute as a battle for existential survival.
