NCJW Hails Israeli Supreme Court Decision to Reject First Part of Judicial Overhaul and Uphold Democracy

“National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) applauds today’s ruling from the Israeli Supreme Court, championing democracy by rejecting legislation that aimed to strip the court of its authority to overturn government decisions as unreasonable. The Supreme Court’s decision safeguards the rights of women, Palestinians, the LGBTQ+ community, and other minorities who would be most impacted without these checks of power in place.

“The reasonableness standard in Israel is not an abstract legal principle, but a crucial tool that protects real people from unreasonable harm. The reasonableness standard has established bomb shelters to protect children at schools in Gaza border communities, mikvahs (ritual baths) to be available for religious women in a northern municipality, and electricity supply as a basic right of Israeli citizens — a decision that has continued to impact thousands of Israelis struggling with poverty — and so much more.

“The Talmud teaches us ‘kol yisrael arevim zeh bazeh’ — all of the Jewish people are responsible for one another. National Council of Jewish Women acted on this and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Israeli protest movement to make our voices known. From our CEO giving the first English speech at the main protest stage in Tel Aviv, to the thousands of NCJW advocates signing onto letters we sent to the Israeli government, to the advocates and sections who raised more than $100,000 for NCJW’s Israel Granting Program to support feminist organizations leading the protest movement.

“NCJW will continue to advance the rights of women, children and families throughout Israeli society regardless of ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation until an equitable future is realized.”