basic law, in Israel, any of several laws intended to serve as a guiding principle of government.
As a concept, the basic law originated as a political compromise among Israel’s early political actors. After the country’s independence in 1948, its legislative body, the Knesset, was unable to agree on a draft constitution. On June 13, 1950, it adopted the “Harari proposal” (named after the contemporary member of the Knesset Yizhar Harari), by which the constitution would be indefinitely drafted chapter by chapter and later compiled into a formal document. These chapters were enacted through the regular legislative process, passed in the same manner as other legislation and with a simple majority of Knesset votes. Although basic laws can likewise be amended or repealed by a simple majority, quasi-permanence has been inscribed into some basic law provisions by requiring a supermajority for the Knesset to act counter to the provision. Most basic laws have provisions specifying that they cannot be altered by emergency regulations.
It remains ambiguous whether basic laws are intended to supersede other laws. However, they are treated that way in Israel’s judicial system: In United Mizrahi Bank v. Migdal (1995) the High Court of Justice ruled that the court has the power to strike down ordinary statutes that contradict any of the basic laws.
Israel’s basic laws are summarized as follows:
- The Knesset (1958; amended in 1959, 1967, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1985, and 1987): determines the number of seats of the legislative body, the process for the election of its members, and the qualifications for membership and specifies that its seat shall be in Jerusalem
- Israel Lands (1960): prohibits the transfer of state land to private ownership except as explicitly allowed by the Knesset
- The President of the State (1964): defines the role of the head of state and the process for election to the office by the Knesset and specifies that the president’s residence shall be located in Jerusalem
- The Government (1968; amended in 1973, 1979, 1981, and 1984; replaced in 1992 and 2001): specifies the process for selecting a prime minister and forming a government
- The State Economy (1975; amended in 1982 and 1983): provides a framework for taxation, conducting transactions, and creating a budget
- The Military (1976): defines the status of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as the sole armed force and its relation to the state
- Jerusalem, the Capital of Israel (1980; amended in 2000 and 2018): grants state recognition of Jerusalem, “complete and united,” as the country’s capital and the seat of government
- The Judiciary (1984; amended in 2023): specifies judicial institutions, their authority, and their appointment and relation to the state and that the High Court of Justice shall be located in Jerusalem
- The State Comptroller (1988): deals with the powers, duties, and election by the Knesset of the state comptroller as ombudsman
- Freedom of Occupation (1992; replaced in 1994): guarantees the freedom to engage in any occupation, profession, or trade
- Human Dignity and Liberty (1992; amended in 1994): enumerates several personal rights, including rights to life, property, entering and leaving Israel, and privacy and intimacy
- Referendum (2014): specifies that any decision made by the government to withdraw from territory shall be put to referendum
- Israel—The Nation State of the Jewish People (2018): defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, affirms certain national symbols and holidays, reaffirms “complete and united” Jerusalem as the capital, and guarantees support for immigration from the Diaspora
Some basic laws have generated significant controversy. The 1980 basic law on Jerusalem coincided with the annexation of East Jerusalem, an area predominantly populated by Palestinians and considered by most of the international community to be occupied territory. The 2018 basic law defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people was seen by some observers as undermining the rights of non-Jewish citizens of Israel, who make up more than one-fourth of the population. In 2023 a plan by the governing coalition to amend the basic law on the judiciary and subject it to legislative oversight led to unrest, including massive protests and nationwide strikes.
Knesset
Knesset, unicameral parliament of Israel and supreme authority of that state. On February 16, 1949, the Constituent Assembly—elected in January of that year to prepare the country’s constitution—ratified the Transition Law and reconstituted itself as the First Knesset. On the same day, Chaim Weizmann (1874–1952) was elected the first president of Israel. Many of its procedural rules (takkanoth) are similar to those of the British House of Commons. Israel did not adopt a formal, written constitution, but it later enacted basic laws on the Knesset (1958); on Israeli lands (1960); on the president (1964), who is elected by the Knesset for a five-year term and is eligible for reelection only once; and on government (1968).
The 120-member Knesset is elected every four years under a system that provides for proportional representation for even quite small political parties. Voters (age 18 or older) choose among national lists of candidates (21 or older) offered by political parties and groups. (The whole nation is a single constituency; there are no districts.) If a party’s list, for example, receives 5 percent of the vote, the first six persons (5 percent of 120) on that list become members of the Knesset. The parties determine the order of names on their lists. Since it is difficult for a single party to win a majority of the seats, government by coalition is common in Israel.
The prime minister-elect names the cabinet, the main policy-making body. Its existence is subject to a vote of confidence in the Knesset. Cabinet members are normally members of the Knesset, though nonmembers may be named. The leader of the opposition, usually the head of the opposition’s largest party, constitutes an official position with special privileges, including regular updates from the prime minister on matters of state. Bills approved as law are published in one series of Reshumot (“The Official Gazette: The Book of Laws”), while pending bills are published in two other series.