Hard but Necessary Legislation

Tova Tzimuki argues that Israel must enact the "Defendant Law" to prevent a criminal defendant from forming a government, due to the lack of an ethical governing tradition. She cites the High Court's 2020 call to regulate the issue and criticizes Netanyahu's government for its attack on the rule of law. Tzimuki calls for enacting the law alongside repealing the judicial overhaul laws, and warns against the "French law."

Tova Tzimuki, a commentator for Ynet, argues that Israel must enact the "Defendant Law" to prevent a criminal defendant from forming a government, due to the lack of an ethical governing tradition in the country. She notes that the High Court, in its 2020 ruling, called for regulating the issue through legislation, but also ruled unanimously (11:0) that the dry law does not prevent Netanyahu from serving. Tzimuki criticizes Netanyahu's government for its attack on the rule of law and democracy, and notes that the hard core of the right exploited this to harm civil rights. She calls for enacting the law alongside repealing the judicial overhaul laws, and warns against the "French law" that freezes proceedings against a prime minister. In her view, the four-year experience with an indicted prime minister was "terrible."