Despite massive protests in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government wants to get its controversial judicial reform through parliament. The project has already cleared its first hurdle. At first reading, 61 MEPs voted in favor and 52 against. Meanwhile, President Yitzhak Herzog warned: “We are in a bad, very bad situation.”
Netanyahu’s Plan: The House of Representatives must be able to overturn Supreme Court decisions – by a simple majority. In addition, politicians should have more influence in the appointment of judges. In its current form, the draft precludes judicial review by the Supreme Court.
Parliament had previously passed a different bill at first reading. The possibilities to declare a sitting prime minister incompetent are therefore limited. The law is designed to protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption. However, for the law to take effect, it must pass three readings.
President: ‘Inner battle is tearing us apart’
People across Israel have been protesting the government’s plans for about ten weeks. Critics fear that the separation of powers will be abolished and that democracy will be undermined. On Monday, a three-member panel of experts submitted a compromise proposal to Parliament’s Justice Committee. President Herzog had previously asked the government to halt the project. The head of state is deeply concerned about the country: “We are in a bad, very bad situation,” Herzog warned on Monday evening. This can have serious social, economic, diplomatic and security consequences. Herzog spoke of an “inner battle that tears us apart”.
Source: Krone
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