Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's controversial judicial reform means, among other things, that the Supreme Court will no longer be the final instance – the Knesset will be able to review the Supreme Court's judgments. Moreover, politicians will gain greater influence over the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court.
The law change means that the selection of judges for the first time in Israel's history will be controlled by the government, writes Haaretz. The Supreme Court's power is being reduced, and the role of the Israeli Bar Association is being completely eliminated.
Even before the war
The law is not a change – it is the eradication of an entire system, claims opposition leader Yair Lapid's party Yesh Atid, which, together with other opposition parties, has appealed the decision.
Judges should be appointed based on professional considerations – not political. They must serve the public, not the regime, and act impartially – not according to the government's will, says the party's parliamentarian Karin Alharar according to Haaretz.
The judicial reform was underway even before the outbreak of war in the autumn of 2023, with massive protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv almost every weekend between March and October. Even then, Netanyahu's political opponents described it as an attempt to avoid being convicted of the corruption he is still suspected of.
"Extreme legislation"
The war has since delayed both the new laws and the corruption trial against Netanyahu.
On Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, thousands have gathered for renewed protests in connection with the vote.
"The government has declared war on the Israeli people", say the organizers behind the protests in Tel Aviv in a statement, according to The Times of Israel.
"The government has abandoned the hostages (in the Gaza Strip), is harming Israel's security, and is pushing through aggressive and extreme legislation without blinking."
