Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.

FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 31, 2023

New government limits on Israeli Supreme Court provoke wide protests against prime minister

frontpageactionpoints.gif
1.gif
Summarize fresh news about this topic.
2.gif
Look for a quote from an Israeli student. Give your reaction.
3.gif
Read other foreign news and tell what continent it's from.

Israel is grappling with massive street demonstrations and threatened strikes sparked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to weaken his nation's courts. He won an key victory last week when Parliament enacted the first piece of that program — limiting the Supreme Court's ability to block government actions. It passed by 64-0, with 56 opposition lawmakers boycotting the final vote in the after failed attempts to find a compromise. Netanyahu prevailed because a coalition of far-right political parties support the long-time prime minister. They defend the changes as a necessary correction to judicial overreach. Both sides claim to be defending democracy.

Hundreds of thousands of street protesters opposed the measure, which critics say erodes one of the few checks on government power in a country without a constitution. Doctors went on a one-day strike to show their concern. "We cannot work as physicians when Israel is no more a democratic state," says Hagai Levine, chairman of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians. More than 500 military pilots and 600 soldiers have threatened not to report for volunteer duty. Weekly demonstrations will continue on Saturday nights, says an alliance of groups, and Israel’s biggest labor union threatens a general strike by transit workers, street cleaners, janitors, security guards and other public sector employees.

Until now, Israel's top court has been able to block decisions made by the prime minister’s cabinet that it deems "unreasonable." With parliament (called the Knesset) in recess until October, the prime minister and his backers must wait to vote on other changes -- including giving the government more control over appointing judges. The governing parties contend that the courts have improperly impeded their agenda and the will of the majority, but polls consistently show that the judicial overhaul is unpopular. Critics fear that the slim governing majority will infringe on an array of rights. "These could be the last days of Israeli democracy," says Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli author and historian. "We might witness the rise of a Jewish supremacist dictatorship in Israel."

Prime minister says: "The [Supreme] Court will continue to be independent and no side will take it over."

General says: "There has been an increase in requests to halt reserve duty. If reservists do not report for duty for a long duration, there will be damage done to the preparedness of the military." – Brigadier General Daniel Hagari

U.S. editorial says: "Netanyahu and his coalition have ignited a political crisis of immense proportions, perhaps the most consequential in Israel’s history." – The Washington Post

Front Page Talking Points is written by Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2025

Front Page Talking Points Archive

Mideast clashes spark fears Iran may block vital Strait of Hormuz trade route

Typewriters aren't bygone relics: Old-school desktop devices gain new-generation users

Deportation protests: Soldiers on the streets of L.A. pose a test of presidential power

Hurricane season arrives and it could be more active than usual – 'a worrisome trend'

New concerns increase appeal of European colleges for U.S. students

White House signals possible challenge to a key legal right – court hearings before deportation

Undersea warning sign: Coral bleaching spreads, weakening or killing vital tropical reefs

Federal vaccine testing change concerns some medical experts

'Vapes harm kids:' New York sues 13 firms selling Cotton Candy, Rainbow Rapper, Fruity Pebbles, other e-cigarette flavors

Courts try to halt rushed removals of alleged gang members, testing presidential powers

Complete archive