No singular law is a handicapt
Israel does not have since its conception a single, comprehensive, and codified constitution for everyone living there due to a strange combination of historical, political, and ideological factors. Instead, the country operates under a system of "Basic Laws", which serves as constitutional provisions, enacted by the Knesset at any time.
Why not the European option of a codified constitution voted by referendum after conception from within a representative constitutional convention? Well, the most common reason given is that it was to overcome disagreements among different political and religious groups regarding the nature of the state, its identity, and the role of religion and state. In other words, some wanted Israel to just stay froozen in time.
The Knesset adopted then the so-called "Harari Resolution" in 1950, which proposed that a constitution be developed incrementally through the enactment of individual so-called "Basic Laws". Eversince the process of developing and refining the Basic Laws is ongoing, and some argue that Israel still lacks a complete and fully codified constitution.
The basic law concerning Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People was passed in 2018. That has sparked off significant controversy about its impact on the rights of Arab citizens. While the law affirms Israel's status as the nation-state of the Jewish people, it also has implications for the status of the Arab language, the recognition of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, the potential narrowing of legal challenges to discriminatory policies, etc.
Why not the European option of a codified constitution voted by referendum after conception from within a representative constitutional convention? Well, the most common reason given is that it was to overcome disagreements among different political and religious groups regarding the nature of the state, its identity, and the role of religion and state. In other words, some wanted Israel to just stay froozen in time.
The Knesset adopted then the so-called "Harari Resolution" in 1950, which proposed that a constitution be developed incrementally through the enactment of individual so-called "Basic Laws". Eversince the process of developing and refining the Basic Laws is ongoing, and some argue that Israel still lacks a complete and fully codified constitution.
The basic law concerning Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People was passed in 2018. That has sparked off significant controversy about its impact on the rights of Arab citizens. While the law affirms Israel's status as the nation-state of the Jewish people, it also has implications for the status of the Arab language, the recognition of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria, the potential narrowing of legal challenges to discriminatory policies, etc.
