Basic Laws of Israel

The Basic Laws of Israel (Hebrew: חוקי היסוד‎, romanized: Ḥukey HaYesod) are fourteen quasi-constitutional laws of the State of Israel, some of which can only be changed by a supermajority vote in the Knesset (with varying requirements for different Basic Laws and sections).

The Basic Laws deal with the formation and role of the principal institutions of the state, and with the relations between the state's authorities. They also protect civil rights in Israel, although some of these rights were earlier protected at common law by the Supreme Court of Israel. The Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty enjoys super-legal status, giving the Supreme Court the authority to disqualify any law contradicting it, as well as protection from Emergency Regulations.

The Basic Laws were intended to be draft chapters of a future Israeli constitution, which has been postponed since 1950; they act as a de facto constitution until their future incorporation into a formal, unitary, written constitution. Israel is one of six countries (along with New Zealand, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and the United Kingdom) that operate entirely or in part according to an uncodified constitution consisting of both material constitutional law (based upon cases and precedents), common law, and the provisions of these formal statutes.

The most recent Basic Law passed in 2018; "Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People", states in chapter 1C: "The realization of the right to national self-determination in the State of Israel is exclusive to the Jewish People." This law was criticized by some ethnic groups in Israel, including by some Israeli Druze.

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