Israel

The Reasonableness Standard Bill adopted by the Knesset this week, with the support only of members of governing coalition parties, will – if it survives legal challenges – alter the balance of power between the judicial and executive and legislative branches of government. Elected officials will have fewer restraints on their actions. The High Court of Justice will retain other oversight tools, however. 

In July 2023, the majority of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) began what many anticipate will be Israel’s judicial overhaul, passing legislation that would limit the Israeli Supreme Court’s ability to review the “reasonableness” of government decisions. This contentious legislation is part of a larger debate over Israel judicial reforms. Learn More.

In July 2023, the majority of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) began what many anticipate will be Israel’s judicial overhaul, passing legislation that would limit the Israeli Supreme Court’s ability to review the “reasonableness” of government decisions.

American Jewish Committee (AJC) today expressed profound disappointment over the passage of the Reasonableness Standard Law in Israel.

The new law was pushed through unilaterally by the governing coalition amid deepening divisions in Israeli society as evidenced by the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who have taken to the streets. Of particular concern to AJC, the continued effort to press forward on judicial reform rather than seeking compromise has sown discord within the Israeli Defense Forces at a time of elevated threats to the Jewish homeland and has strained the vital relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry. 

Earlier this month, the Hezbollah terror group was busy stoking tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Here’s what you need to know about these provocations, who’s behind them, and why.

This week, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog made a historic trip to the United States, becoming only the second Israeli president to address a joint session of Congress as part of a celebration of Israel’s 75th anniversary.

Find answers to burning questions on the difficult issues and topics that matter to the Jewish people and Israel. Our goal is to provide accurate and detailed responses that will help educate, inform, and dispel misinformation.

AJC’s latest article tells you everything you need to know about the terror attacks in Jerusalem. Read it here.

President Biden recently made his first visit to the Middle East as president. It included two days in Israel, along with separate meetings with Palestinians in East Jerusalem and Bethlehem and two days in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabia leg was politically controversial in the US primarily because of the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 as well as criticism of the Saudi role in the war in Yemen. The president’s visit to Israel was a welcome opportunity to show support for a beleaguered ally, but it broke little new ground.

A federal court ruled that an anti-BDS law that required companies doing business with the state of Arkansas to sign a pledge not to boycott Israel was constitutional.

El primer país en apoyar la creación de un Estado Judío en 1947 fue EE.UU. Y quien inmediatamente le siguió los pasos de reconocer al Estado Judío fue una nación centroamericana de 17 millones de personas. Siete décadas después la historia se ha repetido: dos días después de que EE.UU. trasladara oficialmente su embajada a Jerusalem, Guatemala hizo lo mismo.

This week on AJC Passport, we’re joined by peace negotiator Aaron David Miller to discuss the legacy of the Oslo Accords and the Trump administration’s decision to close the PLO’s D.C. office.

This week on AJC Passport, we talk about a possible Gaza ceasefire and a potential early election in Israel, and we learn what caused the current spat between the United States and Turkey.

We spoke with Jason Isaacson, AJC Associate Executive Director for Policy and Managing Director of Government and International Affairs about what Congress is doing to better fight rising antisemitism. We also talked with Emily Soloff, AJC National Associate Director of Interreligious and Intergroup Relations, on how anti-Israel activists have hijacked the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

This week on AJC Passport we spoke with the Jerusalem-based New York Times correspondent Isabel Kershner about recent violence out of Gaza.

On this week’s AJC Passport, we spoke with Mark Dubowitz about the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran deal and with Dr. Matthew Levitt about Lebanon’s recent elections and escalating tension between Israel and Iran.

To celebrate 70 years of Israeli independence, we spoke with Israeli MK Tzipi Livni, historian Francine Klagsbrun, and AJC CEO David Harris.

In this week’s AJC Passport, we spoke with Ambassador Dennis Ross about the protests in Gaza, and with Haaretz correspondent Amir Tibon on the short-lived deal to solve the asylum seekers issue.

Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Elliott Abrams joins us to discuss the new appointments in the Trump administration.

We talked with former U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro about the decision to recognize Jerusalem, the state of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and what President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu want from one another.