Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will abandon the most controversial part of his judicial reform plan, which would have allowed parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions, the Wall Street Journal reported today.
In an interview with the newspaper, Netanyahu also said he would revisit another controversial element that would give the ruling coalition more power in appointing judges, adding that he was not sure exactly what the new version of his plan would look like.
“I listen to public opinion and what I think will be approved,” Netanyahu said.
Last week, Israeli lawmakers began debating a bill that would limit the Supreme Court’s powers, restarting judicial reform work launched by Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition that sparked mass protests across the country.
The changes raised Western concerns about Israel’s democracy and worried investors, Reuters noted. Critics see them as an attempt to limit the independence of the court by Netanyahu, who is on trial on bribery charges he denies.
In the interview, Israel’s three-time prime minister rejected calls to join Western efforts to arm Ukraine, but added that he had expressed to Moscow his concern about Russia’s growing military ties with Iran.
On Tuesday, Netanyahu said he had been invited to China and stressed that the United States remains a key ally of Israel.
