How the Bible anticipated Israel's fight over the judiciary

(JTA) — For those following the judicial reform crisis in Israel, this week’s Torah portion is almost too on the nose.

For months now, Israel has been convulsed by protests in response to a plan by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “reform” Israel’s Supreme Court by stripping it of much of its powers of oversight and shifting the balance of power heavily in favor of the legislature. Defenders of the reform call it a corrective measure meant to rein in a high court that too often flouts the will of the democratically elected Knesset. Critics see it as an assault on democracy — particularly i...