Israel’s Netanyahu makes first concession in controversial judicial overhaul effort
Emily Jacobs
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government said on Monday that it would alter a key part of its plan to overhaul the country’s judicial system following mass street protests, international criticism, and a direct appeal from U.S. President Joe Biden.
As many as half a million Israelis have taken to the streets over the last two months to protest the controversial plan, which would give Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, the authority to overrule Supreme Court decisions with a simple voting majority and change the country’s system for selecting judges. The Monday concession would give the Israeli government less power to select new judges than originally proposed. Opposition leaders said the concession was insufficient and vowed to continue fighting the effort.
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Critics of the proposal argue it would weaken the judiciary’s ability to act as a check and balance on other branches of government. Supporters, meanwhile, believe the changes are necessary to address the court system’s bias in favor of Israel’s leftist elites.
Simcha Rothman, the Netanyahu-aligned lawmaker leading the overhaul effort, said while announcing the concession that the Knesset would delay passing other elements of the legislation until after the Passover holiday in April. Sections of the bill still scheduled for ratification in the next two weeks, however, are prime areas of concern for opposition parties.
Netanyahu was sworn in for a sixth term as Israel’s prime minister in January at the head of a hard-right Cabinet that has promised to expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank and push a host of partisan priorities.
“The heads of the coalition parties call on the opposition to take advantage of the monthlong recess period, during which the legislative procedures in the Knesset cannot be held, in order to hold real negotiations, in order to reach an understanding regarding the articles of legislation that will be submitted for approval after the recess,” the coalition said in a statement. “We extend a hand to everyone who really cares about the unity of the people and the desire to reach an agreed settlement.”
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The Israeli prime minister faced an influential appeal against his government’s proposal over the weekend when Biden phoned to voice his “concern” about the plan, a senior administration official said Monday. The two men, the official said, had a “candid and constructive conversation” that lasted about 45 minutes.
The White House said in a readout of the Sunday call that the U.S. president “underscored his belief that democratic values have always been, and must remain, a hallmark of the U.S.-Israel relationship, that democratic societies are strengthened by genuine checks and balances, and that fundamental changes should be pursued with the broadest possible base of popular support.”