Israeli lawmakers give nod for key portion of judicial overhaul

The police used water cannons to disperse the gathering. Pic/AP

Israeli lawmakers on Monday approved a key portion of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's divisive plan to reshape the country's justice system despite massive protests that have exposed unprecedented fissures in Israeli society.

The vote came after a stormy session in which opposition lawmakers chanted "shame" and then stormed out of the chamber. It reflected the determination of Netanyahu and his far-right allies to move ahead with the plan, which has tested the delicate social ties that bind the country, rattled the cohesion of its powerful military and repeatedly drawn concern from its closest ally, the US.

In Monday's vote, lawmakers approved a measure that prevents judges from striking down government decisions on the basis that they are "unreasonable". With the opposition out of the hall, the measure passed by a 64-0 margin. More mass protests are now expected, and the Movement for Quality Government, a civil society group, immediately announced it would challenge the new law in the Supreme Court.

The grassroots protest movement condemned the vote, saying Netanyahu's "government of extremists is showing their determination to jam their fringe ideology down the throats of millions of citizens.". Earlier, demonstrators, many of whom feel the very foundations of their country are being eroded by the government's plan, blocked a road leading up to the parliament, and big mall chains and some gas stations shuttered their doors in protest. The vote came hours after Netanyahu was released from the hospital, where he had a pacemaker fitted.

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