On July 5, 2026, Israel's government announced it would ignore an order from the country's Supreme Court. This has never happened before in Israel.

The Supreme Court had made a ruling about how a TV and radio regulatory body should operate. The government disagreed with that ruling and said it would not follow it. Opposition politicians called this a serious constitutional crisis. Times of Israel

What makes this matter right now: the regulatory body was in the middle of deciding whether to allow a major TV station called Reshet 13 to be sold. If the Court's order had to be followed, the sale would be stopped. Washington Examiner

Israel doesn't have a single constitution like many countries do. Instead, it uses a collection of basic laws written over time. Since the 1990s, the Supreme Court has claimed the power to overturn laws it thinks are unconstitutional—but the right-wing has always disputed whether the Court really has that power. The Netanyahu government tried to curb the Court's power in 2023, but the attempt failed. This latest move is the next step in that same battle.

Why this moment matters: other Israeli governments have disagreed with the Supreme Court before. They've tried to work around rulings or passed new laws to overturn them. But none have ever simply said, "We will not obey the Court." That line matters because it's how the system has always worked—courts make decisions, government follows them, even when leaders disagree.

Why the government is doing this: Far-right coalition members have pushed hard to weaken the Supreme Court, which they see as blocking their policies. Control over which TV and radio stations can operate is valuable for a government that has argued with mainstream Israeli media. The sale of Reshet 13 isn't just a technical detail—it touches politics, media power, and who makes the final decisions in Israel. Haaretz

The problem ahead: the Supreme Court can't actually force the government to obey. It has no police force or enforcement power of its own. It could punish ministers, but only if the government cooperates. The Attorney General's office—which sometimes acts as a check on the government—will now face pressure to choose a side. International partners like the United States and Europe, already watching Israel's democracy closely because of the war in Gaza, will be paying attention.

What makes this dangerous: when a government successfully ignores a court order and faces no real consequence, it sets a precedent. Others can say, "If they got away with it once, we can try it again." The big question now is whether Israel's Supreme Court, opposition parties, or public pressure can make the cost of defiance high enough to stop it from happening again.