Knesset votes on judicial overhaul, as violence ensues between protesters and police
Government ministers fighting over last-minute compromise
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a session at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem on July 24, 2023, amid a months-long wave of protests against the government’s planned judicial overhaul. Photo by Getty Images
This article originally appeared on Haaretz, and was reprinted here with permission. Sign up here to get Haaretz’s free Daily Brief newsletter delivered to your inbox.
This is a developing story…
The Knesset held the final votes on key legislation in the judicial overhaul Monday, a centerpiece of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Opposition lawmakers walked out of the Knesset in protest of the passing of what’s known as the “reasonableness” law, the first part of the overhaul of the judiciary. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant voted in favor of the law despite having called for a compromise.
Meanwhile, outside, 20,000 pro-democracy Israelis blocked entrances to the Knesset in Jerusalem in protest of the bill which would significantly weaken the Israeli High Court’s ability to enact judicial review. Police used water cannons against protesters.
Opposition leaders in the government, as well as Israeli President Isaac Herzog, attempted to whip up a compromise before the vote began, but those talks collapsed. The architects of the judicial coup threatened to topple the coalition if the bill was amended at the very last minute.
Mossad Director David Barnea tweeted that “If the situation develops into a constitutional crisis, I will be on the correct side. However, that’s not the case yet.”
On Monday, Barnea called a meeting of Mossad employees to discuss the judicial overhaul. As of yet, no Mossad employees have threatened to resign or suspend their services in response to the bill canceling the reasonableness standard. Following guidance from the Mossad’s legal team, Mossad employees, excluding senior officials, were permitted to participate in the protests.
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