Most Israelis support Supreme Court’s ability to strike down laws, IDI survey finds

A majority of Israelis support the ability of the Supreme Court to strike down Knesset laws that contradict democracy, according to a special 20th-anniversary edition of an annual survey released today by the Israel Democracy Institute.

Amid the hardline right-wing government’s plan to push through a judicial overhaul, the IDI reveals that an average of 42% of the public trusted the Supreme Court in 2022, significantly lower than the two-decade average of 59.5%.

When broken down according to political affiliation, 80% of Israelis who define themselves as left-wing, 62% of those in the center, and 29% on the right said they trusted the Supreme Court as of October 2022.

According to an average of five measurements since 2010, a majority of Israelis (55.6%) support the Supreme Court having authority to strike down laws passed by the Knesset “if they are found to be contrary to the principles of democracy,” with more Arabs (87%) than Jews (51%) backing the court in this role.

In October 2022, 58% of respondents believed the court should have that authority. Only 37.5% of those in the right wing supported it, while 70% in the center and 89% on the left backed the court being able to strike down laws. Overall, 56% of Jews and 71% of Arabs supported that ability.