Wednesday afternoon, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that Shas leader Aryeh Deri was unfit to hold ministerial office due to his past criminal convictions. While many Israelis agree with the court’s decision, they are concerned that it will provide additional motivation to pass the proposed “override clause” which gives the Knesset the ability to overturn Supreme Court rulings. The government is expected to respect the ruling, although they say that it delegitimatizes the 400,000 votes that Deri received in the November elections. Amid the uproar, Chief Justice Esther Hayut and Justice Minister Yariv Levin have been provided with increased personal security.

The implications of the ruling are complicated, since Deri holds key positions in the government. If his party Shas withdraws from the coalition in protest of the decision, the government will lose its majority in the Knesset, and the government will fall. However, since this would likely lead to a loss of power for the religious far-right, it is possible that Shas will stick with Netanyahu’s current government “for the greater good.” Coalition leaders are currently discussing possible courses of action.

Please pray for internal stability and peace in Israel! Please also pray for respect for the rule of law and for democracy by all parties involved!