Imagine a world — wild as it may sound — where the Israeli Supreme Court simply does what courts are supposed to do: interpret laws, not invent them. Where “judicial activism” isn’t a polite term for political engineering, and where a judge’s robe doesn’t come with a superhero cape or a personal media fan club.

Welcome to the alternate universe called normal democracy — population: everyone except us.

Because in most countries, the idea that unelected judges can overrule elected governments on “reasonableness” grounds would sound absurd. In Israel? It’s a national pastime. Like hummus, but with more condescension.

The Cult of the Court

Let’s be honest — the Israeli judicial system isn’t just a branch of government; it’s practically a religion. There are high priests (the justices), sacred texts (High Court rulings), and prophets (Haaretz columnists). And if you dare question it — congratulations, you’re now a heretic.

Somehow, over the decades, we built a system where the people’s vote is advisory, but a judge’s opinion is divine revelation. Where a “reasonable decision” means “a decision we like.” And where “rule of law” means “rule of lawyers.”

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How We Got Here

It didn’t happen overnight. Back in the 1990s, while Israel was busy discovering cable TV and Oslo illusions, the Court quietly discovered that it could — well — do whatever it wants. Declare itself the ultimate guardian of democracy. Rewrite laws. Block government decisions. Review appointments. Even decide which wars are reasonable.

A democracy where the court can cancel the will of the people “for their own good”? That’s not democracy — that’s a judicial kibbutz: everyone votes, but only one person’s vote counts.

What If the Court Were… Normal?

Picture it: a court that actually waits for cases to come to it instead of chasing them. Judges who interpret law rather than write op-eds through verdicts. Rulings that are respected because they make legal sense, not because the media says so.

In that world, government ministers would govern, parliament would legislate, and judges would… judge.
Revolutionary, right?

The Tragicomedy of Balance

Now, to be fair, no one wants a government without oversight. Checks and balances matter. But in Israel, we’ve perfected a system of checks without balances. The Knesset is checked, the government is checked, the voters are checked — and the only institution no one checks is the one doing all the checking.

It’s like a referee who joins one team, scores a goal, and then blows the whistle on everyone else for “unreasonableness.”

Back to Reality

So what would happen if the Israeli court were just a court?
We’d probably have more accountability, less hysteria, and a legal system that serves democracy instead of starring in it. The judges could finally rest from saving us from ourselves, and the people could rediscover the radical idea that they, not a panel of legal elites, are sovereign.

Until then, we’ll keep pretending that “judicial independence” means “judicial supremacy,” and that questioning it is an act of barbarism.

Because in Israel, even the Almighty gets appealed — but not the Supreme Court.

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