A number of civil society organizations: including the Israel Women’s Network, the Israel Religious Action Center, the Aguda – The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel, and Be Free Israel; submitted a High Court petition on 16 April 2026 against the law expanding the powers of the religious courts, which was approved by the Knesset on 24 March 2026. The organizations argue that the law severely violates fundamental constitutional rights, notably the rights to equality, dignity.
The legal amendment grants religious courts (Jewish and Islamic) authority to arbitrate on a range of matters that were previously handled by civil courts, including property and labor disputes. The petitioning organizations contend that the law creates a parallel religious legal system that is not bound by the principles of gender and employment equality enshrined in Israeli civil law. The CSOs argue that this may significantly harm the status and rights of women and other vulnerable populations. Judges in these courts are exclusively male and operate primarily in accordance with religious law. According to the petitioners, some of them lack the legal training required to adjudicate civil arbitration cases.
Although transferring a case to a religious court is formally contingent on the consent of both parties, opponents of the law warn that such consent may often be nominal. The law was promoted by several parties within the current governing coalition, which support strengthening the role and authority of religious law over civil law. CSOs fear that this measure constitutes another step in the erosion of democratic principles and equality in Israel.