Conservative think tank warns judicial overhaul is causing ‘enormous damage’ to Israel

A security think tank considered to be hawkish and hold conservative views issues a rare warning over the controversy surrounding the government’s judicial overhaul plans.

In a statement titled “Israel should prepare for war — and politicians need to come to their senses,” the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security says the overhaul has “caused enormous damage to the State of Israel.”

“The struggle over legal reform has caused enormous damage to the State of Israel. On the political level, the image of American backing has been undermined. On the economic level, the country’s credit rating has decreased. The public discourse in Israel reached new heights of acerbity and alienation. Above all, national cohesion was cracked primarily due to the IDF being used as a tool in the political debate,” says JISS.

“Israel is seen from the outside as a torn society, gradually losing its ability to function. Friendly countries, among them those who signed the Abraham Accords and threw their weight behind Israel’s strategic presence in the region, look in astonishment at an internal conflict that indicates the State of Israel has domestic problems that could dismantle its military capability,” the institute says.

“It is incumbent upon Israel’s leaders from both sides of the political aisle to put aside their differences or quickly reach a compromise that will allow the country to focus on the existential security challenges that lie ahead,” the statement continues.

“The State of Israel must adopt a new paradigm that prioritizes security needs over other legitimate needs. The IDF and all elements of the security establishment must be removed from the political discourse, and elected officials must ensure that they have the necessary resources to prepare for a war that may be inevitable,” JISS adds.