The American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists (AAJLJ) and the rest of the world, has watched for months as Israelis have taken to the streets to peacefully protest proposed actions of their government.  Members of the board met in June with Israeli lawyers, justices, government officials and advocates during our mission to Israel and discussed the proposed reforms.  We congratulate Israelis for exemplifying democracy in speaking up. 

AAJLJ fully supports the position of the Israeli Bar Association in rejecting  proposed legislation that would remove the authority of the High Court to strike down legislation enacted by the Knesset, and decisions made by government officials, that fail to satisfy the test of reasonableness now applied by the Court. The removal of such authority would eliminate any checks or guardrails on the government's ability to take actions, including the appointment of unqualified persons to executive positions, that are unreasonable even in the extreme. Such unfettered authority on the part of the government would constitute a severe breach of the checks and balances that are at the heart of a democratic government.