Rights9/2/2026

Experts Call for Enshrining Social Agreements in an Israeli Constitution

Participants in a discussion on the constitutional crisis called for the creation of a constitution that would enshrine Israel’s core values and social agreements. They stressed that the constitutional process should be separated from current party politics and conducted with broad public support.

Key facts

•Format: expert panel on the constitutional crisis
•Organizers: Ynet, Yedioth Ahronoth, and the Israel Democracy Institute
•Proposal: enshrine the values of the Declaration of Independence
•Legal basis of the discussion: the Basic Laws and the Harari Decision
•The date of the event is not specified in the main text of the source
•No official decision was adopted following the panel

Who Participated in the Discussion

The panel took place at the “Time for a Decision: Democracy and Society” conference, organized by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth together with the Israel Democracy Institute. Participants included Professor Amichai Cohen, Professor Tamar Hostovsky Brandes, and Professor Ariel Bendor. The discussion focused on finding a solution to the constitutional crisis.

The Declaration of Independence and a Basic Law

The experts discussed former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s statement that he intended to grant the Declaration of Independence the status of a Basic Law. The participants agreed that its key values should be constitutionally enshrined, although not every provision of the declaration is formulated as a legal norm. They also noted that not only the content of the future act matters, but also the procedure for adopting it.

Why a Change in Procedure Is Being Proposed

Professor Cohen recalled the decision by Yizhar Harari, a member of the first Knesset, according to which Israel’s constitution should be formed gradually through Basic Laws. In his assessment, the practice of changing constitutional rules as part of ordinary political struggles has run its course. Professors Bendor and Hostovsky Brandes stressed the need for a fair, professional procedure focused on a long-term outcome and broad public support.

No Decision Has Yet Been Made

The publication describes an expert discussion, not a law, court ruling, or officially launched constitutional process. The participants proposed developing a special mechanism for adopting constitutional norms, but the source does not specify a particular model or a binding outcome.

What this means for you

For now, the discussion does not change the rights and obligations of Israel’s residents. If a constitution or a new Basic Law is adopted in the future, it could enshrine fundamental state values and rules governing the operation of public authorities, but the content and procedure of such changes have not yet been determined.

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