Israel’s gov’t launches last-ditch legislative offensive ahead of upcoming elections

The Israeli government this week launched a broad legislative offensive aimed at rushing several bills to the finish line ahead of the expected dissolution of the Knesset on July 17, which will end most legislative activity ahead of the new elections, which are currently still planned for October 27.

This included several highly contentious bills, including some that were part of the government’s original judicial reform plans, and others that reportedly are part of a deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the ultra-Orthodox parties, who agreed to support new coalition legislation in exchange for laws limiting arrests of draft dodgers.

Maybe the most controversial bill was approved Monday evening: A law establishing a politically appointed commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding Hamas’s Oct. 7 invasion and massacre, rather than the traditional state commission of inquiry.

The opposition has vowed to boycott the legislation and not participate in choosing commission members, meaning they would likely comprise only coalition candidates. However, according to Ynet News, the law is unlikely to advance through second and third readings before the elections.

Another bill that was intended to be a key part of the government’s struggle to weaken the justice system was approved only partially. The bill had aimed to split the role of the Attorney General into two, one being the government’s legal adviser and the second, the Prosecutor General.

However, due to time constraints, the bill was approved only in part and will now enable the government to ignore the Attorney General's legal opinions, choose to hire its own legal representation before the Supreme Court, and create an oversight mechanism for the AG.

The government has consistently criticized the AG for opposing its policies and accused her of intentionally trying to interfere with its legislative activities using her binding legal opinions. The watered-down version of the bill is expected to receive final approval next week.

The next bill is Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi's long-touted effort to deregulate the television market, though critics have argued it would grant the government more authority over it.

The bill would slash regulations for new television news channels, remove legally required separations between the owners of television channels and their news divisions, and create a government-operated app allowing citizens free access to news channels.

Likud lawmaker Galit Distel-Atbaryan argued that the law would grant Israelis greater choice, and that “consumers will immediately feel the effect of lower prices.”

However, it is unclear whether the law will pass amid opposition from the ultra-Orthodox parties, who criticize that the new app would operate on the Sabbath and contain content they consider religiously problematic.

Another set of bills was sponsored by the Haredi parties, most prominently, the “Torah Study bill,” which has drawn condemnation for including language that explicitly equated Torah study with military service, though it was softened under heavy criticism from within the coalition.

Legal experts have questioned whether the new language is effective enough to have practical legal consequences, though the Haredi parties hope it could strengthen future legal defenses for exemptions from military service for yeshiva students. It is expected to pass into law next week.

Finally, the Haredi parties want to advance a proposal to regulate the legal status of full-time yeshiva students, called those for whom “Torah study is their profession,” and suspends their arrests over evading the military draft.

The bill’s advancement and final legislation is seen as uncertain before the elections.