Israel MPs prepare divisive bill for final votes amid protests
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Sulaiman
- . July 20, 2023
- . Update: July 20, 2023 10:13 pm
Israel’s parliament has adopted a key clause of the controversial judicial reforms that would limit the oversight powers of the Supreme Court.
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An Israeli parliamentary committee said in a statement on Thursday that it approved the proposal by the hard-right government, which would limit the “reasonability” clause that allowed the judiciary to refuse government decisions.
During the debate on Wednesday, the Israeli parliament approved the bill that would limit the powers of the Supreme Court.
Reportedly, nine Knesset members supported the decision, while seven opposed the decision. The bill is due for second and third readings on Monday for approval by the full parliament.
The opposition parties view the government’s reforms as a threat to Israeli democracy. Huge protests erupted in Israel after the government’s reforms were unveiled in January after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power.
Last month, the opposition rejected a proposed government plan for judicial reform. Opposition leaders accused Benjamin Netanyahu of blocking the formation of a key judicial body.
Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli Knesset, accused the Israeli prime minister of trying to “dismantle Israeli society.” Yair Lapid, the Leader of the Opposition, also slammed the Israeli prime minister.
Earlier this year, many people took to the streets in Israel to protest against the government’s judicial overhaul plan. They argued that the bill would give the Israeli government power to appoint people to the Supreme Court. Later on, the Israeli leader said that he would make judicial overhaul reforms “via broad consensus.”
Recently, former Central Bank Deputy Governor Zvi Eckstein, said that protests over a judicial overhaul can cause a severe slowdown to the country’s economy.
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Last week, people took to the streets to protest after the Israeli Parliament advanced moves on the judicial reforms aimed at limiting the independence of the Supreme Court.
