Israel Crisis: Parliament Passes PM Netanyahu's Controversial Judicial Reforms Amid Ongoing Protest

Israel's Parliament has partially passed a controversial and polarising bill for judicial overhaul, disregarding months of protests and deepening the country's political crisis.

It has set the stage for a potential clash with the country's Supreme Court, which the law aims to limit in power.

The law is expected to be challenged in front of the Supreme Court, with a non-governmental organisation already petitioning the court on Monday (24 July).

The passage of this law has prompted thousands of military reservists to threaten resignation, as well as business, union leaders, and medical professionals to consider mass work stoppages.

Furthermore, this development has the potential to complicate Israel's relationships with the United States and other western allies as the White House has now described the law's passage as "unfortunate."

The bill received support from Netanyahu's entire coalition of 64 lawmakers, widely considered the most right-wing, nationalist, and religious in the country's history.

Israeli lawmakers celebrated on Monday after approving part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul, which diminishes the Supreme Court's authority to nullify government decisions it deems "unreasonable in the extreme."

They have argued that this concept is ambiguous and allows liberal judges to overturn the will of an increasingly right-wing electorate.

This marks the first step in a series of laws aimed at limiting the power of the court system.

The next bill, which grants lawmakers more authority in selecting judges, is expected to be more contentious and may be voted on in the fall.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who is widely regarded as the architect of the overhaul, stated, "We made the first move in the historic process of fixing the justice system."

On Monday (24 July), widespread demonstrations erupted throughout the country, with more planned for later in the night.

The police worked to prevent protesters from storming the Knesset, while tens of thousands of people filled the streets of Jerusalem near government buildings, shouting "Democracy!" and using loud horns.

The police employed water cannons to disperse the protesters in Tel Aviv, as seen in the footage.

The passage of the legislation was condemned by Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition, as he described it as the "destruction of Israeli democracy."

He emphatically added, "We will not give up. We will not surrender. We will not allow Israel to become a fractured, undemocratic nation ruled by hatred and extremism."

The recent legislation on Monday (24 July) was an amendment to one of Israel's basic laws, which are considered to be the closest thing the country has to a constitution.

Having already served in his sixth term as the country's longest-serving prime minister, Netanyahu successfully reintroduced the judicial legislation that had previously been defeated.

After facing widespread protests and a general strike that brought the nation to a standstill, previously he postponed his efforts.

However, he recently announced his intention to pass a modified version of the overhaul.

The country's main labour union, the Histadrut, announced its preparations for a potential general strike on Monday (24 July), which could potentially cripple the country once again.

The debate surrounding the judicial legislation has shed light on Israel's societal divide regarding the definition of a Jewish and democratic state.

In Israel, where a powerful presidency does not exist, the Supreme Court has traditionally served as the only check on the government's ruling coalition.

In recent years, it has frequently obstructed decisions made by right-wing governments.

For instance, the court recently invalidated Prime Minister Netanyahu's appointment of a key ultra-orthodox ally, who had been convicted of corruption and tax evasion, to serve as interior, health, and finance minister.

Netanyahu's legal troubles have played a significant role in bringing the country to its current state.

After being indicted on bribery and fraud charges in 2019 (which he denies), his former centrist partners and even some on the right refused to form a government with him. This led to a brief loss of power.

Upon his return as prime minister last year, Netanyahu formed a coalition consisting of two ultra-orthodox political parties and an alliance of ultra-nationalists.