
Daily Kickoff: Israel’s judicial reform + Inside the Super Soul Parties
👋 Good Monday morning!
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we talk to MK Simcha Rothman about the Israeli government’s proposed judicial reforms, and spotlight a new initiative to convene Jewish Democrats in North Carolina. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff, Meir Kay, Dov Zakheim and Keren Hajioff.
Members of the Israeli Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, in a 9-7 vote this morning, passed two clauses key to the government’s proposed judicial reform — changing the system to appoint judges so that coalition members will comprise a majority of the selection committee; and canceling the High Court’s ability to review and change Basic Laws — paving the way for the legislation’s first reading in the Knesset. Committee Chair Simcha Rothman ordered the removal of opposition MKs from the room after they shouted and chanted in protest of the legislation and against Rothman. See more below and read Rothman’s interview with Jewish Insider’s Ruth Marks Eglash here.
The vote went ahead despite a nationally televised plea by Israeli President Isaac Herzog last night to hold off and to consider a five-point compromise proposal, including a new Basic Law that would set out the relationship between the Knesset and the court, that he called for legislators to discuss. A “very senior” coalition member, however, told the N12 news broadcaster that the coalition would wait a week to bring it to a Knesset vote. Herzog’s call was met with praise by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, who tweeted, “Great speech tonight by a great leader. Thank you President @Isaac_Herzog.”
President Joe Biden, in his first direct comment on Israel’s judicial reform proposal,toldThe New York Times’ Thomas Friedman over the weekend that “The genius of American democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, on an independent judiciary. Building consensus for fundamental changes is really important to ensure that the people buy into them so they can be sustained.”
Herzog’s address came the night before a nationwide strike and a demonstration outside the Knesset in Jerusalem that drew tens of thousands of Israelis protesting the proposed judicial overhaul. Hundreds of high-tech companies, law firms and other private sector companies are participating in the strike, as well as thousands of doctors and mental health professionals. Additional protests were held in other cities around the country.
In an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post, the Orthodox Union’s Rabbi Moshe Hauer described both the government’s position and arguments to keep the current judicial system “untenable and should be recognized for what they really are, as opening bids in a bruising legislative negotiation.”
Hauer cautioned that the decisions made by Israel’s government may impact the future of American support for Israel. “While those on both sides of Israel’s political divide must continue to advance their policy debates vigorously, they must recognize that on the sidelines of their political battlefield sit America’s Jews, watching carefully and deciding whether they will be able to identify with the outcome,” he wrote. “To paraphrase Ahad Ha’am, more than American Jewry has maintained Israel, Israel has maintained American Jewry.”
survey says
Forty percent of American Jews feel less secure than a year ago, AJC survey finds

More than four in 10 American Jews felt less secure in 2022 than the year before — a 10-point jump from 2021 — with rising antisemitism resulting in a “frightening impact” on the comfort levels of members of the Jewish community. That was a key takeaway from a survey released Monday morning by the American Jewish Committee, which measured attitudes on antisemitism both within and outside the Jewish community, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
Broad look: The survey of 1,507 American Jews, which was conducted between Sept. 28 and Nov. 3, 2022, indicated the widespread impact of antisemitism on the American Jewish community. AJC also surveyed 1,004 members of the American public at large between Oct. 10 and Oct. 18. The first survey found that 26% of Jewish respondents were personally the target of antisemitic incidents in 2022, including antisemitic attacks, antisemitic remarks in person and antisemitic remarks online; 23% are affiliated with an institution that has been targeted by antisemitism in the past five years; and 87% have seen antisemitic content online.
Government assessment: The study also found that American Jews are divided on how well the government is responding to antisemitism. Forty-eight percent said they approved of the job President Joe Biden has done — down from 54% in 2021 — and 34% said they disapproved. But a majority, 56%, said they disapproved of the way Congress has responded, with just 22% approving, down from 28% the year prior. Forty percent of respondents were satisfied with how their state and local governments are responding. “It’s a question of the urgency of taking action,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said, of the overall survey. “There’s been a call for more action by the federal government for some time. Now, there is an effort, thankfully, to create a national action plan. This highlights why that’s necessary.”