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Israel parliament clips Supreme Court powers
Israel’s parliament defied a tense session, pressure from thousands of demonstrators and boycott by opposition lawmakers to pass a controversial bill limiting the powers of the Supreme Court on Monday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition allies approved the bill with 64 votes in the 120-seat chamber. The vote took place hours after Netanyahu, 73, returned to the Knesset only a day after undergoing surgery to have a pacemaker fitted. The premier justified the decision to press ahead with the vote as a “necessary democratic step.” “We passed the amendment on reasonableness so that the elected government can carry out policy in line with the decision of the majority of the citizens of the country,” he said in a televised address. Critics charge that the judicial revamp limiting the powers of the High Court in striking down government decisions which the judges deem “unreasonable,” could open the way to more authoritarian government by removing checks and balances on the Israeli executive. Netanyahu’s coalition government, which includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties, argues that the proposed changes are needed to ensure a better balance of power. Division among Israelis remain as the Histadrut trade union confederation threatened a nationwide strike in response to the passage of the bill, urging the government to resume negotiations with the opposition. “Any unilateral progress of the reform will have serious consequences,” Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David warned in a statement. A walkout staged by Histadrut in March within hours prompted Netanyahu to halt the legislative process, paving the way for cross-party talks which ultimately collapsed. Rallies continued into the evening on Monday in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the country’s commercial hub, while demonstrators blocked roads. Police used water cannon and mounted officers were deployed against the crowds. with AFP The post Israel parliament clips Supreme Court powers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Israel braces for unrest over divisive judicial reform
Israel braced for fresh strikes and protests Tuesday following a divisive parliamentary vote on a controversial judicial reform which has split the nation and drawn criticism from allies abroad. The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government to push through a key plank of its reforms on Monday has already sparked legal challenges and clashes on the streets. Opponents were set to keep up months of protests on Tuesday, with doctors walking out. "The hand, extended for dialogue, was left hanging in the air, as victory celebrations took place symbolizing above all a war that only has losers," the head of the Israel Medical Association, Zion Hagay, said in a statement announcing the walkout. The move came after the Histadrut trade union confederation threatened a repeat of the general strike it called in March over the reforms. The Israel Bar Association was among numerous groups to file petitions to the Supreme Court aiming to strike down the new legislation. "A black day for Israeli democracy," read the blackened front pages of three of the country's top newspapers on Tuesday, carrying an advert by opponents of the judicial reforms. Protesters remained on the streets late into the night following the vote, with student Josh Hakim saying he was "really, really sad about what's happening to this country". "You see what is happening on the streets, everyone is so angry," he told AFP at a rally near parliament in Jerusalem. Some 58 people were arrested at demonstrations, the police said, among them protesters in Tel Aviv, which has become the focal point of one of the country's largest ever protest movements. Police said one person was arrested for allegedly harming demonstrators, with protest organisers saying he drove a car into people blocking a highway. Officers used water cannon to disperse protesters on a major road through Tel Aviv, where the crowd waved Israeli flags. Opposition slams 'puppet' PM Netanyahu failed to appease opponents with a televised address late Monday, in which he pledged to hold talks during the upcoming parliamentary recess. "Reach a comprehensive agreement on everything and we will add more time should it be needed," he said. The embattled premier showed signs of fatigue in the chamber, as he sat between his defense and justice ministers just a day after unscheduled surgery to fit a pacemaker. Netanyahu defended the new law, which limits the powers of the Supreme Court in striking down government decisions, as a "necessary democratic step". Deep divisions within his own coalition and mass protests prompted the premier to temporarily halt the legislative process in March, but within weeks politicians were blaming each other for the breakdown in negotiations. On Monday, the opposition walked out of the chamber to boycott the vote, which passed with 64 votes in the 120-seat chamber. Opposition chief Yair Lapid slammed Netanyahu's "unprecedented performance of weakness". "There is no prime minister in Israel. Netanyahu has become a puppet of messianic extremists," he said, a reference to the premier's far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies. The political instability has raised alarm among Israel's allies abroad. The White House described the vote as "unfortunate". A German foreign ministry source said: "We look with great concern at the deepening tensions in Israeli society." The post Israel braces for unrest over divisive judicial reform appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
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