Parliament approved this Monday a key clause of the controversial judicial reform that seeks to demand the powers of the Supreme Court to intervene in government decisions.
The text was approved by the 65 deputies of the right-wing and religious orthodox coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while the opposition had to boycott the vote.
The session began after more than 24 hours of debate on a bill that aims to limit the powers of the Supreme Court to reverse government decisions, which has sparked widespread protests in the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 73, went to the Knesset (parliament) after leaving hospital on Monday morning, the day after he received a pacemaker.
Outside parliament, police used water cannons to disperse a crowd of protesters.
(Also read: Israel: the protests against the judicial reform of the Netanyahu government return)
Demonstration near the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
The vote would correspond to the so-called “reasonableness” clause, which will limit the ability of judges to annul government decisions that are considered “unreasonable”.
Critics fear the judicial reform will undermine Israel’s liberal democracy by removing checks and balances on the executive. Opponents also accuse Netanyahu, who is being tried for corruption, of wanting to use this reform to annul possible trials against him, which he denies.
Netanyahu’s government, which includes right-wing and ultra-Orthodox allies, argues it needs to curb judicial overreach and that change is necessary to ensure a better balance of power.
(You may be interested in: Keys to the social crisis that Israel is experiencing due to Netanyahu’s judicial reform)
Session in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
In the last few hours, the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, tried to reinvigorate a dialogue between the government and the opposition to reach a consensus around the reform, but his attempts have once again failed.
“We are working around the clock in every possible way to find a solution. There is a basis for a possible understanding, but there are gaps that require the responsibility of the various parties,” Herzog said a few hours ago.
(Keep reading: Israel: the reasons that led Netanyahu to suspend his judicial reform)
We are working around the clock in every possible way to find a solution.
Herzog met separately with Netanyahu and opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz on Sunday to resume negotiations they reached in April but broke down in June when the government decided to go ahead unilaterally with reform.
“We are in a national emergency,” said Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, who has been trying to broker a compromise to end months of protests.
US President Joe Biden urged Israel on Sunday not to rush “divisive” judicial reforms.
This is the first law of the controversial package embracing reform in getting ahead. Other proposed changes include giving the government greater power in appointing judges.
The opposition response in Israel
myThe leader of the opposition in Israel, Yair Lapid, had already announced on Monday that it was impossible to reach an agreement on judicial reform with the Government of Benjamin Netanyahu, which paved the way for the law to be approved in the next few hours in the Knesset (Israeli Parliament).
“Our main condition was to protect Israeli democracy, but with this government it is impossible to reach agreements that preserve Israeli democracy,” the visibly angry former prime minister told the media in the Knesset corridors.
“In the last few weeks, and especially in the last 48 hours, we have done everything possible to reach agreements, as we promised”, asserted the centrist Lapid minutes before the second and third reading of the bill that annuls the doctrine of reasonableness began.
Protesters raise a large national flag during a demonstration near the Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
“They want to destroy the State, destroy democracy, destroy the security of
Israel, the unity of the people of Israel and our international relations,” lamented Lapid, who called the government “the most irresponsible in history.”
The protest movement has not ceased for seven months, with massive demonstrations in recent weeks -this Saturday more than 550,000 people took to the streets throughout the country-, a strong social pressure on the unions to call a general strike; and with more than 10,000 reservists refusing to volunteer for duty.
This Monday, the important business forum in Israel, which represents 150 of the most important firms in the country, and dozens of companies in the high-tech sector announced that they are going on strike today, in protest of the judicial reform.
The forum includes the BIG shopping center chain, the important Azrieli Group, and banking institutions, which called on other companies to “join this emergency measure to stop this unilateral legislation and start talks for an agreement,” according to a statement released by the Hebrew media.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING
*With AFP and EFE
