A majority of Israelis oppose the resumption of judicial overhaul legislation proposed by the coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a new poll has revealed. The legislation has been suspended since the outbreak of the war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Channel 13 reported on Sunday. The poll was conducted by the Midgam Panel Project among Jewish Israelis and by Statnet among Arab Israelis.
The results came a day after Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced that the government may soon resume work on passing the “judicial amendments”. According to the poll, over half of the Israeli public or 51.3 per cent, oppose this initiative, while 34.7 per cent support it. As many as 49.3 per cent believe the overhaul endangers Israeli democracy, while 36.6 per cent believe that it doesn’t.
When asked what is the most urgent issue the government should be tackling, 65.6 per cent of respondents said advancing a hostage deal; 13.1 per cent said rebuilding war-battered southern and northern settlements; 10.4 per cent said advancing the judicial overhaul; and 7.7 per cent said promoting a law to make military service compulsory for all Israelis.
The survey also touched on the call of former Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yitzhak Yosef, to reject the recruitment of Haredim into the Israeli army, including those who do not study the Torah. The poll revealed that 74.4 per cent oppose Yosef’s call to refuse army service for ultra-Orthodox Jews, including those who don’t study in yeshiva. Only 17.7 per cent supported the rabbi’s position.