JERUSALEM – Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday struck down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s polarization law that sought to limit the court’s authority over government decisions, sparking mass anti-government protests and international condemnation.
Netanyahu’s plans to overhaul the judiciary upended Israel in the months before the Israel-Gaza war, and now threaten to trigger a constitutional and leadership crisis just three months after the deeply divided country united behind the effort. warlike
Netanyahu’s Likud Party criticized the decision, describing it as “contrary to the nation’s desire for unity, especially in times of war.”
“Today, the Supreme Court faithfully fulfilled its role of protecting the citizens of Israel,” Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said earlier on Twitter.
Monday’s ruling concerns an amendment to Israel’s “Basic Law,” which replaces the constitution and was approved by Netanyahu’s far-right government in July. The amended law eliminates the right of Israel’s Supreme Court to block decisions made by government ministers that judges consider “unreasonable.”
In striking down the law 8 to 7 on Monday, the Supreme Court ruling calls for the legislation to be struck down. If Netanyahu’s government refuses to respect the ruling, the wartime state could face a constitutional crisis.
The reform plan, first proposed by Netanyahu’s coalition last January, sparked widespread social unrest that lasted almost a year and provoked extraordinary opposition from the military and senior security officials.
Supporters of the legislation said it was a necessary fix for an activist Supreme Court led by an elite circle of justices. Opponents said the law could lead to tyranny and pave the way for Netanyahu’s far-right and ultra-Orthodox supporters to change the main foundations of Israel’s liberal democracy.
Weekly protests against the proposal attracted hundreds of thousands of people. Military pilots and soldiers threatened not to report for voluntary service if the government refused to back down on its plan.
In March, Netanyahu fired his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after Gallant asked the government to halt its plan, warning of potential security problems for Israel if the reservists withdrew. Gallant was reinstated two weeks later.
President Biden, one of Israel’s staunchest allies, also opposed the law in March in a rare public disagreement. “I hope he moves away from that,” Biden said, adding that Netanyahu’s government “cannot continue down this path.”
Melin reported from Tel Aviv.
2024-01-02 04:30:42
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