Israeli Parliament Approves Netanyahu's Bill to Limit Supreme Court Powers

The first part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's proposed bill to reform the judicial powers of Israel was approved by Israeli lawmakers on Monday, July 24. Following the failure of the latest attempts at compromise and reconciliation, the voting in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, was conducted with a complete boycott from the opposition, but all 64 lawmakers from Netanyahu's coalition voted in favor. The voting came after a 26-hour marathon of debates among lawmakers for and against the bill, which began at 10 AM on Sunday in the Knesset. Meanwhile, police used water cannons to disperse protesters against the reforms who had blocked the street outside the Knesset building. Yair Lapid, the opposition leader, told Israeli television channels just minutes before the voting began: "You cannot reach an agreement to protect Israeli democracy with this government." In his speech in the Knesset, Lapid also said: "We are heading towards disaster. If you vote for this bill, you will weaken Israel, the people of Israel, and the Israeli Defense Forces." In contrast, Yariv Levin, Israel's Minister of Justice, stated in his speech that there is no reason to fear the approval of the reforms and that the proposed reforms would restore the balance between the branches of government. As more banks and businesses joined the protests, pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister increased. He underwent surgery early Sunday to install a pacemaker and was discharged from the hospital on Monday. The United States had urged Netanyahu to compromise with the opposition, but Netanyahu's extremist allies are demanding the approval of the judicial reforms. The ongoing crisis in Israel has also affected its military, with thousands of reservists warning that they would refuse to serve if Netanyahu's proposed reforms were approved. Nevertheless, the majority of Knesset seats are held by Netanyahu's coalition, and the approval of his proposed reforms to limit the Supreme Court's powers to annul government and ministerial decisions in the event of unsuccessful negotiations for compromise was predictable. Benjamin Netanyahu participates in the Knesset voting session after being discharged from the hospital. Controversial judicial reforms in Israel; Netanyahu from the hospital: I will participate in the voting. Benjamin Netanyahu undergoes surgery for "artificial heart pacemaker". Protests of tens of thousands of Israelis against the judicial changes bill: it threatens democracy.