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25-07-2023
JERUSALEM: Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has arrived at parliament for a key vote related to his government’s bitterly contested judicial overhaul, only hours after being discharged from hospital after an emergency heart procedure.
Thousands of demonstrators who marched from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last week remained camped out outside the Knesset on Monday before two votes on the plenum floor, in which the “reasonableness” clause allowing the Supreme Court to overrule government decisions is expected to be abolished.
Several roads in Jerusalem were blocked as a result of the protest action, with police using water cannon to push back demonstrators. Businesses around the country closed their doors in solidarity with the protesters.
If the bill passes, it will be the first major piece of legislation to be approved since the changes to the judiciary were proposed in January, despite seven months of sustained protests. The issue has split the nation along lines of religion, ethnicity and class, raised questions over the military’s cohesion and operational readiness, damaged the shekel, and led to public concerns for Israel’s democratic health from key allies such as the US.
The overhaul, introduced shortly after Netanyahu returned to office at the head of the most extremist rightwing government coalition in Israeli history, calls for sweeping changes aimed at curbing the powers of the unelected 
judiciary, including limiting the supreme court’s ability to challenge parliamentary decisions and giving politicians more control over the appointment of judges.
Supporters of the changes argue that they are needed to rein in what they see as a leftwing bias in the decisions of the Supreme Court, which serves a prominent role in a country with no formal constitution and only one legislative chamber.
Critics say they fear democratic backsliding and allege that the overhaul will aid Netanyahu’s fight against graft charges, which he denies.
The US president, Joe Biden, on Sunday once again publicly called on Netanyahu not to go ahead with Monday’s vote, saying: “Given the range of threats and challenges confronting Israel right now, it doesn’t make sense for Israeli leaders to rush this, the focus should be on pulling people together and finding consensus.” (Int’l News Desk)
