Shana Tova from The Times of Israel

[View this email in your browser]( Shana Tova from The Times of Israel SHANA TOVA FROM THE TIMES OF ISRAEL Dear Times of Israel readers, We mark Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, at a fateful moment for the Jewish state, with the acutely sensitive balance of authority between the executive and the judiciary in question. The coalition is advancing "judicial reform" legislation to radically constrain what it claims is an unrepresentative, untenably interventionist High Court that skews the will of the people. And vast, ongoing public protests are highlighting that in an Israel without a constitution, the court is the only independent brake on government abuse, and arguing that the "reform" marks the shattering of Israeli democracy. Underlining the scale of the crisis and the danger it poses to Israel, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own Likud party, warned in remarks just days before Rosh Hashanah that the national rift over the nature of Israeli governance has “permeated the IDF and other security agencies," endangering "our capacity to provide security for the State of Israel and protection for its citizens.” “I am not concerned with the question of who started it or who is right," Gallant added. “Major changes must only be carried out with broad agreement." In the past year － through the run-up to November's elections, the swearing-in of the coalition in late December, Justice Minister Yariv Levin's unveiling of his legislative package in early January, and the months of deepening dispute and protest ever since － The Times of Israel's reporters and editors, working all hours of the day and night, have provided 24/7 coverage of every phase of what amounts to a battle for the very character and orientation of the State of Israel. Our analysts have delved into the significance of all the key developments. We have interviewed the major figures on every side of the fateful standoff, carried opinion pieces from a diverse range of perspectives, hosted multiple webinars on the overhaul with thought leaders and our editorial leadership, and dissected developments in our daily podcasts. In all, The Times of Israel reaches over 6 million readers a month, reading an average of some 35 million Times of Israel pages, with significant readership in over 100 countries worldwide. ToI editorial podcasts now reach over a quarter of a million monthly listeners, and this year we expanded our scope by forming a partnership with the extraordinary narrative podcast Israel Story. We are able to do all this work, informing and framing the debate for a vast global readership, in large part thanks to the financial support of committed, caring readers who have joined The Times of Israel Community. Our content remains free and open to all. ToI Community members help finance that content, enabling us to maintain and grow our thriving editorial operation － to cover not only the judicial overhaul but every key aspect of life in the Jewish state and across the Jewish world. Please consider joining the ToI Community as a Rosh Hashanah pledge. Joining the Community provides you with an ad-free experience of our site and app, and access to some outstanding exclusive ToI Community content. Most importantly, though, you'll become a much-appreciated partner in our work. [JOIN OUR COMMUNITY]( Wishing you a Shana Tova U'Metuka, David Horovitz & The Times of Israel Team [Unsubscribe]( - [Unsubscribe Preferences](