According to a recent survey conducted by the Geocartography Research Institute, a majority of the Israeli public opposes six out of eight components in the proposed legal reform presented by Minister Rival Levin and Chairman of the Constitution Committee of the Knesset, Simcha Rothman. The survey, called “The People’s Wish,” was initiated by the Center for the Promotion of Fairness in Israel. The six sections that most received opposition from the public include politicians choosing judges, appointment of a legal advisor to a government office not subordinate to the Attorney General, invalidating improper minister appointments, invalidating an unjustified or illegal governmental decision, establishing basic laws only with a majority of 64 Knesset members or more, and requiring a majority of 64 or more Knesset members for an increase clause.
Interestingly, over half of respondents who voted for the Likud party in the last Knesset elections oppose five of the eight reform sections. Furthermore, more than half of the public believes that debates concerning the reform in the Knesset were handled unfairly, and the Supreme Court has a higher level of public trust compared to the Knesset and the government. The sample included 3,000 internet respondents and three groups of 300 telephone respondents each from the ultra-orthodox and Arab sectors and elderly populations.
The director of the Center for the Promotion of Fairness in Israel, Ehud Peleg, stated that these survey results show that the people desire a democracy with several independent authorities and oppose the infringement of the independence of the judiciary, as well as transforming Israel into a state with a single authority.
A large majority of the public opposes six of the eight components of the legal reform. This is evident from the project “The People’s Wish”, initiated by the Center for the Promotion of Fairness in Israel, carried out by the Geocartography Research Institute. The sample included the elements of the reform led by the Minister of Justice Rival Levin and Chairman of the Constitution Committee of the Knesset MK Simcha Rothman.
The six sections in which there was a large gap between the opponents and the supporters are: 62% oppose the appointment of judges by politicians; 64% oppose the appointment of a legal advisor to a government office that will not be subordinate to the Attorney General; 66% believe that the High Court should be authorized to invalidate improper appointments of ministers or deputy ministers; and 72% believe that the High Court should be authorized to invalidate an unjustified or illegal governmental decision.
70% believe that the establishment of basic laws should be carried out by a majority of 64 MKs or more. In addition, 76% of the public opposes the increase clause, or requires a majority of 64 Knesset members or more for it. The segmentation of the data also shows that more than half of the respondents who voted for the Likud in the last Knesset elections, Oppose five of the eight sections of the reform. 53% of the respondents to this question oppose the politicians alone choosing judges; 65% of the respondents who voted for Likud oppose the establishment of basic laws with a majority of only 61 MKs; And 57% are against the enhancement clause or require a majority of 64 or more Knesset members for it.
The protest in favor of the legal reform (photo: Eric Marmor, Flash 90)
Furthermore, 51% of the respondents who voted for Likud oppose the appointment of a legal advisor in a government office who will not be subordinate to the Attorney General, while 55% of the respondents who voted for Likud believe that the High Court of Justice should be authorized to invalidate an illegal or unjustified governmental decision. Regarding the issue of legal disqualification Fundamental by the High Court: 51% of the public believe that the High Court should not invalidate a fundamental law. In contrast, 49% believe that the High Court should be authorized to do so.
The survey revealed other interesting findings: 61% of the public believe that the debates in the Knesset on the subject of the reform were conducted by the leaders of the reform unfairly; And the Supreme Court leads by a considerable margin in public trust (47%) compared to the Knesset (27%) and the government (29%). “The leaders of the administrative reform are trying to base it, among other things, on the argument according to which supposedly the majority of the public supports the reform and voted for it in the last Knesset elections, and the decision of the majority must be respected,” stated the initiators of the study. “The truth is that the reform was not presented in the election system, and in any case it was not put to the voter’s test at all. The ‘People’s Wish’ project of the Center for the Promotion of Fairness in Israel is intended to put it to the public’s test, and to let the people have their say.”
The sample encompassed 3,000 internet respondents and three more dedicated groups of 300 telephone respondents each, in the ultra-orthodox and Arab sectors and among the elderly, in order to reach representatively even population groups where internet use is not widespread. The sampling error in the broad sample, in the way it was assembled, is up to 1.5%.
The protest against the legal reform (photo: Avshalom Sassouni)
“Fairness is today a product of a lack in Israel in many areas of life, and this is also prominently reflected in the conduct of politicians. Proper public discourse, certainly on a controversial issue of principle, should be based on true facts, respect and consideration. As part of the center’s ‘People’s Wish’ project For the promotion of fairness in Israel, the people spoke clearly against the reform proposed in the Levin-Rotman outline and against the style in which its leaders are trying to pass it in the Knesset,” noted the director of the Center for the Promotion of Fairness in Israel, Adv. Ehud Peleg.
According to him, “As is evident from the unambiguous results, the people are in favor of a democracy with three independent authorities, which maintain checks and balances between them, and certainly oppose the violation of the independence of the judiciary and the transformation of the State of Israel into a state with only one authority.”