You shouldn’t feel guilty if you’ve found the crisis in Israel confusing. How many votes should the Knesset need to override the Supreme Court? Who should sit on the appointments panel for judges? Some American Jews have dived into these debates, weighing in for this side or that. What self-respecting Jewish lawyer could resist kibbitzing on these questions? It’s been a field day for Alan Dershowitz, and all the people who want to be the next Alan Dershowitz.

You needn’t bother with these details, because it’s simpler than that. In eleven minutes, I explain the real reasons for the crisis, and point to a text that can help resolve it. This is an excerpt from a webinar jointly sponsored by the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA) and Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME). At this link or below.

Header photograph by Ze’ev Barkan, licensed under CC BY 2.0.