The Current Crisis in Israel’s Constitution

Abstract

Israel’s political constitution has been in a condition of crisis since the 1990s – a crisis that the proposed and recently passed Basic Law reaffirming Israel’s character as the Jewish state is intended to resolve. In what follows, I examine some key issues in general and Zionist political theory in order to understand the nature of the present crisis in Israel’s constitution. I will suggest that in light of these considerations, a Basic Law reaffirming Israel’s character as a Jewish state is in fact much needed at this time – not only in order to stabilize the Israeli constitution, but also as a basis for approaching the broader problem of state legitimacy that has in recent years crippled the state system in the Middle East.