Israel’s parliament is to vote on part of the government’s far-reaching judicial overhaul in a new push from the ruling coalition to pass legislation despite continuing nationwide protests and promises from the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to drop or tone down some of the controversial elements.
The Knesset will vote at about 9pm local time (1900 BST) on Monday on a bill that would get rid of the “reasonableness” standard, which allows the supreme court to overrule government decisions it deems too political, implausible, or that undermine the public’s trust in government.
The supreme court used the clause in January to order Netanyahu to remove the interior minister, Aryeh Deri, a key ally, from the cabinet, because of a previous tax evasion conviction. The decision was met with anger by Deri’s ultra-Orthodox party and supporters.
Leaders of the pro-democracy protest movement have said demonstrations are planned on Monday night, and a “day of disruption” across the country will take place if the bill passes the first of three readings.
Netanyahu’s coalition of rightwing and ultra-Orthodox parties – the most rightwing in the country’s history – introduced a package of sweeping judicial changes shortly after he returned to office in December.
Among the plans are bills that would give politicians control over appointments to Israel’s supreme court and severely curtail its ability to overturn laws. Its supporters say the changes are needed to rein in what they see as a leftwing bias in the decisions of the court, which serves an outsized role in a country with no formal constitution and only one legislative chamber.
Critics, however, have raised fears of democratic backsliding, and say the changes will aid Netanyahu’s fight against graft charges, which he denies.
Significant protest pressure has come from Israel’s vaunted hi-tech sector, the military and allies in the US. Palestinian citizens of Israel, who face systemic discrimination, as well as those living under military rule in the occupied territories, have long questioned Israel’s democratic character.
The proposals have triggered a constitutional and economic crisis, exposing deep political rifts in Israeli society and sparking the biggest protest movement in the country’s history. The demonstrators succeeded in forcing Netanyahu to announce a freeze to the judicial changes in March after a day of wildcat strikes paralysed the country, including Tel Aviv’s airport, Israel’s main international gateway.
Compromise talks with opposition parties brokered by the figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, collapsed last month, despite a surprise announcement from Netanyahu that one of the most hotly debated elements of the overhaul – an override clause allowing the Knesset to overturn most supreme court rulings – would be dropped. He also said that another contested proposal, giving politicians more control over the appointment of judges, would be revised.
The comments angered the prime minister’s coalition partners, and failed to placate protesters opposed to the plans.
A poll released on Sunday by Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, found that 31% of Israelis are in favour of the changes, while 43% oppose them.
