Israeli Government Structure

Israel has a parliamentary democracy with a unicameral legislature, known as the Knesset, where citizens elect political parties rather than individuals. This system is proportionally representative, meaning it produces a multiparty legislature and coalition governments led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Issac Herzog. The president acts as a mainly ceremonial Head of State. For a party to be elected, it must pass an electoral threshold of 3.25% or align with another group to create a combined percentage.

Elections must take place every four years but often occur sooner by majority vote of Knesset members if gridlock prevents legislation, the budget does not pass, or the president requests it. Prime Ministers may serve longer, and future Knesset members’ time in office will extend if the previous term was shorter. 

According to Freedom House, a non-governmental organization that advocates for democracy and human rights, Israel is experiencing ”long-term discrimination against Arab and other ethnic and religious minority populations has resulted in systemic disparities in areas including criminal justice, local government budgets, education, and economic opportunity.” This reduction in basic rights serves as a prime example of democratic backsliding, as protecting individual and minority liberties is a core value in a functioning democracy.  

History of Corruption

While Israel has a history of democratic ideals, recent concern of democratic backsliding has grown due to judicial reforms and other recent government actions, particularly since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government took office again in 2022. During his previous 2009-2021 term, a newspaper titled Israel Today rose to power and began dominating the media scheme. As pointed out by PBS News, “[T]he paper has a definite point of view, defending Netanyahu not only from the political opposition, but from critics within his own Likud-Beitenu coalition.” Just a few years later, in 2014, Channel 14, a far-right television station that has received special government exemptions from media rules, was created. Netanyahu served as Israel’s Communications Minister while also acting as Prime Minister, a move many found to be an abuse of power. He resigned from his role as Communications Minister amidst corruption charges. 

Recently, Netanyahu has asked President Herzog to pardon him of these corruption allegations, even though the courts have yet to reach a verdict. President Donald Trump has strongly advocated for President Herzog to grant this pardon. Netanyahu was indicted in 2020 for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in several different cases. The basis of the charges rests on allegations that he gave favors to businessmen in return for positive media support. Allegations against public officials in charge of legislation reduce citizens’ trust, a vital mechanism in sustaining democracy. 

Recent Legislation Threatening Free Journalism

Netanyahu has accused Israel’s main broadcasters of attempting to brainwash citizens against Israeli ideals. As of this week, his coalition has moved to create a special parliamentary committee that would establish laws against independent media. These organizations would be replaced with political appointees, a change that would expand executive power and destabilize free press. Executive aggrandizement, which is defined as “attempts by democratically elected incumbents to concentrate power,” has been on the rise throughout this process. Democratic norms, such as respecting the authority of independent broadcasters rather than concentrating power in the hands of federally appointed officials, are eroding. 

As a result of these actions, citizens lose access to media that is separated from the state’s agenda, and the government faces less accountability as journalists are removed from positions of influence. This contributes to the erosion of vertical accountability, as there are fewer checks on government power and opportunities to scrutinize policy. With Netanyahu currently on trial, unbiased media access is especially important to enforce government transparency and reduce corruption. 

Netanyahu says that he is acting in the best interest of the people, with his government promising that the intentions behind the new legislation are to “open the market, promote competition, remove outdated regulatory barriers and modernize Israel’s media laws for the digital era,” a tactic often used by leaders who seek to centralize power under a guise of beneficial progress. This is not the first bill to attempt to regulate media, as some foreign stations have been banned or restricted in the name of “national security,” another frequent tool implemented to convince citizens of the necessity of eroding democratic norms. 

Israeli journalist Guy Peleg is currently facing retaliation from the Israeli government and other right-wing representatives for reporting on the alleged abuse of a Palestinian prisoner, yet another recent prolific case that involves Netanyahu’s regime. Netanyahu claims that the video footage was doctored to misrepresent the Israeli government, while Peleg has received numerous threats as a result of his journalism. Defense Minister Israel Katz has vocalized his intention to regulate Peleg’s station in defense of the “war effort.”

Why This Matters

As Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to give preference to certain media broadcasters that favor his regime style and restrict those that do not, democratic erosion will continue to occur in Israel. His push against free media coincides with the upcoming election, a move that would reduce accessible criticism for voters. While just one of many examples of kinds of backsliding, uninhibited speech and journalistic freedom are core principles of a healthy democracy and encourage vital government transparency.