When the rules change: civil disobedience amidst Judicial Overhaul

• In Event: Activism, Protest & Policing

Abstract

In January 2023, the Israeli Minister of Justice introduced a legislative package aimed at overhauling Israel’s judicial system. Within the following 12 weeks, over 150 social movements and 250,000 activists initiated one of the largest protests waves the country has seen. The current study utilizes 38 in-depth interviews with protest leaders, conducted in the midst of the reform, to examine (1) their perceptions of state actions; (2) the perceived legitimacy of the government and of the police as its representative; and (3) their willingness to engage in civil disobedience and violence. The findings suggest that while all interviewees perceived governments’ actions as a breach of contract – “changing the rules” between the state and its citizens, and most of them view this breach as justifying civil disobedience, only few considered violence as a valid course of action. Furthermore, personal moral perceptions and practical interests were the main barriers for using violence, rather than commitment to the state or to law obedience. The findings contribute to the criminological understanding of attitudes towards law obedience, by bringing forward the unwritten contract with the state as a critical factor.

Author

• Gali Perry, The Hebrew University