Knesset Passes Key Judicial Reform Law
Israel’s Knesset passed a contentious law on Thursday granting the government greater control over judicial appointments, a move critics say weakens the judiciary’s independence and threatens democratic checks and balances. The legislation, approved after an overnight debate, alters the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee by replacing two seats held by the Israeli Bar Association with lawyers chosen by the coalition and opposition. It also gives political representatives veto power over judicial appointments.
The law passed in a 67-1 vote after the opposition boycotted the final count and will take effect in the next Knesset, currently set for October 2026. Opposition leaders have pledged to repeal the measure if they return to power and have already petitioned the Supreme Court to strike it down.
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Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a key architect of the judicial overhaul, defended the law as necessary to curb what he called excessive judicial power. Critics, including opposition leader Yair Lapid, say the law is designed to place judicial appointments under political control.
The judicial overhaul plan previously sparked mass protests in 2023 before being shelved after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that led to war in Gaza. The revival of the plan has intensified tensions, with critics accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using the conflict as a distraction while consolidating power.
The law’s passage follows other recent moves by Netanyahu’s government to weaken legal restraints, including efforts to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the firing of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.
