Constitution of Israel (Basic Laws)

Incremental basic laws functioning as an evolving uncodified constitution.

Overview

Israel has no single entrenched constitution, the 1948 declaration of independence notwithstanding, a compromise between religious and secular forces at the founding. Since 1958 the Knesset has enacted Basic Laws, beginning with the Knesset itself, covering government, army, judiciary, and human dignity and liberty in 1992, which the Supreme Court used in the 1995 constitutional revolution to authorize judicial review of ordinary legislation. Debates over the Nation State Basic Law of 2018 and the judicial overhaul attempts of 2023 circle exactly this gap, making Israel the leading example of constitutionalism built piecemeal.