Israel's Judicial System

The judiciary watches over the rule of law and individual rights. The fact that there is not complete written constitution and bill of rights, plus the regulations that still remain from British Mandatory rule and the wide powers of the legislative branch, make the judiciary in Israel a very important part of the government.

There are two main components to the judicial system in Israel: the General Law courts, and the other authorities with judicial power. The General Law courts are known as civil, or regular, courts. The Basic Law: The Judiciary states three levels of courts: the magistrate courts (local level), district courts, and the Supreme Court. The magistrate and district courts are courts with trials, and the Supreme Court deals with appeals. There are no juries in any type of court in Israel.

The military courts, the labor courts and the religious courts are the most important types of authority with judicial powers, other than what is stated above. Each tribunal (court) all operates on the judicial system, but they deal with certain material. The success of the judicial system in Israel in enforcing the law is greatly due to the independence given to judges.

The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is at the top of the judicial system. It deals with matters, in relevance to legality, of all the decisions of the authorities in the country. It also makes decisions on the laws passed by the Knesset, to make sure it follows the constitution, and on the distribution of power, to make sure a certain part of government is not doing another part’s job.

Government Relationship with Its People

The aim of Ehud Olmert’s government over the next four years, until the next elections, is to fix Israel’s official borders for all of the people in the country. The main goal is to establish borders between Israel and Palestine, which will hopefully put an end to the fighting and disagreements between the two. Olmert calls his plan the convergence plan. He will also try to move 70,000 Jewish people from the West Bank (Palestine) back into Israel to try to make progress with this plan. If the fighting does stop, this will benefit the whole country, since there won’t be rocket attacks, hostages, etc. The citizens of Israel, as well as many government parties, are behind Olmert’s decision.

The other type of relationship between the government and the people of Israel is the elections that the whole country can take part in. Kadima, Olmert’s party, is also quite popular with the public.

Current Events

April 23, 2007 - Israel's 59th Independence Day

Independence Day is the anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel. It is a very meaningful celebration for everyone in the country, especially those who have been part of the country for their whole lives since the creation in 1948.

The day before Independence Day is known as Remembrance Day. It is a day where Israelis remember everyone who died while fighting for Israel’s independence. At the end of the day, a torch-lighting ceremony takes place in Jerusalem, where Israel’s leaders have been buried.

There are also other celebrations around the country, like free celebrations. These celebrations include performances by popular musicians, and fireworks.

Many people tour the country and travel to battlefields of the War of Independence. They also visit memorials, go on nature hikes, and spend the day outdoors.

May 18, 2007 - Kassam Rockets Strike Sderot

The Israeli city of Sderot has been under attack since the night of May 15, with over 60 Kassam rockets being launched into the town and the surrounding area. Two women were seriously wounded after the rockets hit their homes. Others were treated for injuries and shock. Another rocket hit a high school on May 17. Hamas, the Palestinian government, is responsible for the attack.

Please check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/sderot2007

Bibliography

1.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_of_Israel

2.
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Politics/how_govt_works.html

3.
http://www.science.co.il/Outmain.asp?uri=www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/eng_mimshal_beh.htm

4.
http://www.bicom.org.uk/about_israel/political_structure/

5.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_system

6.
http://www.terra.es/personal2/monolith/israel.htm

7.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-04/28/content_579323.htm

8.
http://www.israelemb.org/articles/2007/April/2007042301.htm

9.
http://www.israelemb.org/articles/2007/may/2007051800.htm