Israeli parliament passes divisive law weakening Supreme Court

Israel`s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) attends a parliament session in Jerusalem on July 24, 2023, amid a months-long wave of protests against the government`s planned judicial overhaul. AFP photo

The Israeli parliament, or Knesset, has voted to pass a bill that limits the powers of the Supreme Court and overhauls the country's judiciary, triggering mass protests from the opposition.

The court is now barred from overruling the national government using the legal standard of "reasonableness," a concept that judges previously used to block ministerial appointments and contest planning decisions, among other government measures.

Last minute talks to find a compromise, led by the country's president, failed to stop Israel's far-right government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, from pushing ahead with the vote.

The third and final vote on the bill passed 64-0 after a volatile session. The opposition boycotted it in protest, and stormed out of the chamber after chanting "shame".

The law, part of a wider effort to overhaul the judiciary, prevents the Supreme Court from striking down government decisions.

Proponents say the current "reasonability" standard gives unelected judges excessive powers over decision-making by elected officials. But critics of the government says it removes a key element of the court's oversight powers and opens the way for corruption and improper appointments.

The massive, sustained democracy protests have largely shunned mention of Israel's 56-year occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, fearing the issue might alienate supporters. But critics portray this rule over another people as a major stain on Israel's claim to be a liberal democracy and accuse the protesters of harbouring a significant blind spot in their struggle.

After the vote, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the architect of the plan, said parliament had taken a "first step in an important historic process" of overhauling the judiciary.

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Meanwhile, an Israeli political watchdog group said it would file a Supreme Court appeal against the new amended law.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel said it would argue that the amendment was a de-facto elimination of the judicial branch and should be overturned by the court.

More mass protests were expected after the vote.

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.

Further ratcheting up the pressure on Netanyahu, thousands of military reservists have declared their refusal to serve under a government taking steps that they see as setting the country on a path to dictatorship. Those moves have prompted fears that the military's preparedness could be compromised.

The vote came only hours after Netanyahu was released from the hospital, where he had a pacemaker implanted. His sudden hospitalisation added another dizzying twist to an already dramatic series of events, which were watched closely in Washington.

The Biden administration has frequently spoken out against Netanyahu's government and its overhaul plan. In a statement to the news site Axios late Sunday, President Joe Biden warned against pushing ahead with the legal changes that were sparking so much division. (Agencies)