Israeli Judicial Reforms Face Massive Public Outcry. Is Compromise Possible?

Around 90,000 Israelis protested in Jerusalem on Monday against government plans to reform the judicial system as employers across the country allowed workers to participate in demonstrations.

The government’s proposed reforms will give the Knesset the ability to override Supreme Court rulings with a simple majority. The ruling coalition will have decisive control over the appointment of Supreme Court justices, and legal advisers to ministries will be political appointments.

Proponents of the reforms say the changes are necessary to rein in the courts, which they claim have become too powerful. They also say the Supreme Court often intervenes in political issues that should be determined by the parliament. Opponents of the reforms say they will weaken the courts by curbing their independence and give the ruling coalition limitless power. They believe this will weaken Israeli democracy and the rule of law significantly and will have a devastating impact on the economy as investors flee.

Efforts are underway to initiate a dialog between government and opposition members with the intention of producing a compromise plan that takes into consideration some of the criticisms that have been voiced by the public. But the government, led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his Likud party, has vowed to push forward with the planned reforms despite public outcry.

The Media Line’s Keren Setton has the full story.