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Despite massive protests, controversial judicial reform in Israel is progressing. After hours of debate, the parliament in Jerusalem on Tuesday night approved a bill that is intended to limit the power of the Supreme Court.
64 of the 120 MEPs voted in favor and 56 against at first reading. Two more measurements are required for the change to take effect.
Protest movement plans “Day of Disruption”
The organizers of the country’s protests, which have been going on for months, announced a “Day of Disruption” last week. Protests on intersections and several central streets are planned from the early hours of the morning. Drivers are requested to drive particularly slowly “to give a signal,” a spokesman said. Meetings will be held at numerous locations throughout the day, including from 3pm (CEST) at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.
According to the organizers, thousands of people wanted to gather in the evening in the center of the coastal town and in other Israeli cities. The protest movement is one of the largest in the history of Israel, a country of about 9.4 million people, and includes broad sections of society.
End of so-called adequacy clause planned
The bill, which was adopted at first reading, stipulates that in future it should no longer be possible for the Supreme Court to judge a decision by the government or individual ministers as “inappropriate”. Critics fear that this will encourage corruption and thus the arbitrary filling of senior positions.
The government, on the other hand, accuses the Supreme Court of interfering too much with political decisions. For more than six months, the government’s comprehensive plan has divided large segments of Israeli society. Another aim of the reform is to give politicians more influence in the appointment of judges. According to the media, this core project of the reform is being put on the agenda for the next session in the autumn.
Supreme Court has special significance in Israel
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that the appointment of Shas Party leader Arie Deri as interior minister was “inappropriate” because of his criminal past. As a result, Netanyahu had to fire his confidante. Observers expect the government to want to reverse this.
The State of Israel has no written constitution and is instead based on a set of fundamental laws. Therefore, the Supreme Court is of particular importance in upholding the rule of law and human rights.
Resumption of negotiations open
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially dropped the comprehensive plans to restructure the judiciary after massive pressure in late March, but put them back on the agenda about three weeks ago, somewhat toned down. Months of talks about a compromise between the government and the opposition brokered by President Izchak Herzog came to nothing.
Herzog made an urgent appeal to both sides on Sunday evening to resume dialogue. Everything else is “an error of historic proportions”. The opposition was ready to talk on Monday should the government halt its plans. In the evening, according to media reports, Netanyahu informed Herzog that he wanted to push this further.
Netanyahu’s coalition is the most right-wing the country has ever had. The law changes are also being pushed through under pressure from Netanyahu’s strictly religious coalition partners. However, according to experts, they could also play into the hands of Netanyahu in a long-running corruption trial against him. (SDA)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
