total-- : --time0:0003:27 PM • June 19 2026 IDTAs Israelis focused on the life-and-death issues around conflicts with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, the Netanyahu government has slowly but steadily progressed in its campaign to eliminate the gatekeepers of liberal democracy in order to consolidate the power of elected politicians, constitutional law expert Prof. Adam Shinar told the Haaretz Podcast.The steps it has taken were "not exactly the package" of radical reforms it proposed in 2023 that brought hundreds of thousands of Israelis into the streets, Shinar said, but they are firmly marching Israel in the direction of a weakened judiciary, civil service and media, by putting more power in the hands of the ruling parties.Initially, after October 7, the push for a judicial coup ground to a halt. But as the war continued, explained Shinar, a professor at Reichman University, changes were still made – if not directly through legislation, then by the appointment of Netanyahu loyalists in key positions."The government saw an opening. It said, 'Hey, we can do many, many things. The public is distracted, the public is concerned about other things, and we can do a lot."If Netanyahu remains in power after the fall elections, Shinar predicted, the push for a total judicial overhaul will return "on steroids."To succeed in moving Israel further from the democracy he emphasized, "You don't have to dismantle everything. It's enough that you dismantle several key components – limiting judicial review and changing the way the attorney general is appointed. … That's 60 to 70 percent of the way."In the NewsInside Israel's Other War: Fighting the Quiet Dismantling of DemocracyJewish National Fund Helps Settler Group Evict East Jerusalem Palestinian FamilyDefense Officials Warn Likud Minister's West Bank Emirate Plan Could BackfireNetanyahu's Last Stand: When Reality Is Low, Go LowerIran Set Up Covert Iraqi Cells to Attack Gulf Neighbors, Sources SayRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIHumiliated by Trump on the Iran Front, Netanyahu May Set the Middle East Ablaze'Once-in-a-lifetime Discovery': 1,700-year-old Roman Busts Found in IsraelTrump and Netanyahu Hurtling Toward a Rupture That Could Shock U.S.-Israel TiesNetanyahu's Mouthpieces Turn on Trump, Revealing a Deeper Israeli IngratitudeFork Found in Kitchen: Israelis Have Discovered the OccupationIran Reportedly Calls Off Missile Strikes on Israel After Trump Intervenes