An aerial view shows protesters holding banners as they demonstrate against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his nationalist coalition government鈥檚 judicial overhaul, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 24, 2023. REUTERS
JERUSALEM 鈥� Israeli lawmakers on Sunday began debating a bill that would limit the Supreme Court鈥檚 powers, rebooting a fiercely opposed judicial overhaul instigated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 religious-nationalist coalition.
Anti-government demonstrations had prompted Netanyahu to suspend his judicial drive in March to allow compromise talks with opposition parties. He declared those talks fruitless last week and ordered some of the legislation to be revived.
The proposed changes, which included curbs on the court鈥檚 ability to rule against the government, had sparked frequent street protests before the March suspension and on Saturday night anti-overhaul activists blocked a major Tel Aviv highway.
Coalition lawmakers have indicated that the new bill would be a far softer version of previous proposals that had sought to almost totally roll back the Supreme Court鈥檚 power to rule against the executive.
The opposition, however, says the new bill would still open the door to corruption.
鈥淵ou are renewing a legislation blitz meant to destroy the justice system鈥檚 independence and badly hurt Israeli democracy鈥檚 delicate checks and balances,鈥� Labour lawmaker Gilad Kariv said as the debate began.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid on Twitter urged Netanyahu to stop the legislation and revive negotiations 鈥渦ntil we reach agreements that will safeguard democracy and prevent a national disaster鈥�.
The proposed judicial overhaul has also stirred Western concern over Israel鈥檚 democratic health and spooked investors. Critics see it as an attempt to curb court independence by Netanyahu, who is on trial on graft charges that he denies.
The coalition says its goal is to balance the powers of the government, legislature and judiciary by reining in a Supreme Court they see as too interventionist.