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Israel’s parliament has approved a crucial part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for judicial overhaul, prompting widespread condemnation from critics who accuse his government of undermining the independence of the judiciary, the Associated Press reported.
The legislation, passed early Thursday after an overnight debate, is a key component of Netanyahu’s plan to reshape Israel’s judicial system. According to the report, the law grants the government increased authority over the appointment of judges, a move that critics argue will diminish the judiciary’s independence and allow politicians to exert more control over the courts.
The new measure, the report said, would give another two of the nine seats on the Judicial Selection Committee to lawyers chosen by the government and the opposition, and the political appointees would have the power to veto nominations to the Supreme Court and lower courts.
Netanyahu and his Justice Minister Yariv Levin have argued that it is a necessary reform to ensure that judges are more representative of the Israeli electorate. Levin described the change as a “historic and necessary” step, claiming it would make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of diverse political views.
Opposition lawmakers and civil society groups, however, have opposed the measure, warning that it would erode the checks and balances essential to Israel’s democracy.
The opposition, which boycotted the final vote, described the law as a deliberate attempt to make judges more susceptible to political influence. “This law has one goal—to ensure that judges become subject to the will of politicians,” opposition leaders said in a joint statement, according to AP.
Legal experts have raised alarm over the potential consequences of the judicial overhaul, with some warning that the new mechanism for judicial appointments “could lead to the selection of more extreme candidates”, further politicising the judiciary.
The law passed on Thursday will not take effect until the next Knesset, Israel’s parliament, convenes, and petitions against it have already been filed with the Supreme Court.
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