The government would like to reduce the power of the Supreme Court. In Israel there have been protests against the government’s proposed law reforms.
11:56•Updated 12:07
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu plans to withdraw a controversial bill that would have narrowed the Supreme Court’s powers.
Netanyahu has informed the government coalition about this today, reports the Israeli Broadcasting Company.
The reform has been feared because it would allow Netanyahu’s far-right government to exercise virtually unlimited power without any restraints.
Netanyahu is scheduled to announce the matter at a press conference later today.
The prime minister’s speech on Monday has been postponed because of that of media data (you switch to another service) according to some government ministers threatened to resign if Netanyahu tried to promote the reform.
In addition, the continuation of Netanayhu’s government was voted on today.
The government survived the parliament’s no-confidence vote 59–53.
Netanyahu can therefore continue as prime minister.
The constitutional crisis that has tormented Israel for weeks will intensify in the parliament, or Knesset, over the weekend, when the country’s defense minister Yoav Gallant was dramatically fired.
Even civil war as a fear
According to the demonstrators, the Supreme Court guarantees democracy in Israel. Curbing its power would therefore reduce the possibilities of democracy at the same time.
Flights from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv have had to be canceled due to the protests.
Leader of Israel’s largest trade union group Arnon Bar-David called people in the morning to participate in a general strike if the reform of the legal system went through, said, among other things Times of Israel (you are switching to another service).
There have been hundreds of thousands of people in the protests of the past few days.
Police and soldiers have used water cannons against protesters outside the prime minister’s home in Jerusalem.
In the darkest estimates, it is feared that Israel could drift into a civil war if the legal initiative is approved.
President of Israel Isaac Herzog presented a compromise solution to the situation on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the compromise proposal. However, he has not said that he accepts it.
Sources: Reuters, AFP