when israel formed it adopted the pre-existing laws from the british mandate (which, itself included some holdover laws from the ottoman period). that’s actually what typically happens when there is a new country. the u.s., for example, adopted british common law in 1776. it’s simply easier to adopt an existing legal system (and then start passing laws to amend it) than to build one from scratch all at once. when i went to law school in the u.s., we read cases from 16th century britain that are still technically binding precedent in the u.s. today.

adopting the pre-existing system is also better for business (ongoing contracts don’t become void, but rather can operate under the same laws that formed them). also, if a new country scrapped all prior laws and tried to pass new ones, it would mean that during the period the new laws were being drafted things like murder and robbery would theoretically be legal. so it’s not surprising at all that israel would still enforce a law that is older than the country itself.

(of course, that doesn’t mean that i don’t think the law is stupid. banning books is always a bad idea IMHO)

“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.”
Exodus 22:18 (King James Bible)

Since this is what it says in the Torah is not Harry Potter against Jews, Christians, and Muslims? I am an agnostic.