Israeli parliament passes controversial law limiting judges’ powers | Abroad

The vote revolved around the so-called principle of reasonableness. Under current law, Israeli judges can sue the government if its policies are “unreasonable”. This is the case, for example, if a bill violates certain civil rights.

The Israeli parliament (the Knesset) has now destroyed this principle. The law is part of a larger package of reforms. With this, the radical right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to further limit the judiciary.

If the whole package is passed, parliament will have the power to “overrule” Supreme Court decisions by majority. Proponents of the reforms believe this is necessary, as they believe the Supreme Court too often interferes in government bills.

However, critics see it as a serious violation of the independence of the judiciary. With its majority in parliament, a government can thus influence the composition and decisions of the Supreme Court. With this, the government puts the only independent check on shelved legislation, and that is fear.

In recent months, the Netanyahu government’s plan has already sparked much controversy. People took to the streets in droves to express their dissatisfaction with the plans. Thousands of protesters also marched towards the Israeli parliament building on Monday to block the entrance. The police used a water cannon to disperse the protesters.