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INTERPRETER
Parliament is set to vote on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed changes to the judicial system.
For seven months, the streets of Israel have been teeming with Israeli flags as tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in anti-government protests.
The demonstrators have demonstrated against a highly controversial draft law from Israel’s far-right government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel’s parliament, or Knesset, will begin voting on the bill on Sunday.
Here’s what you need to know before voting:
What’s in the revision?
The proposals include a bill that would allow a simple majority in parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions, while another would give parliament the final say in the selection of judges.
On Monday, parliament will vote on an additional key bill that would prevent the Supreme Court from overturning government decisions on the basis of “unreasonableness”.
The government says the bills are needed to reduce the powers of unelected judges, but critics say the changes are a power grab that would push Israel toward autocracy.
Protesters say Netanyahu – who is on trial on corruption charges – and his allies want to appoint henchmen to government posts, deepen Israel’s control over the occupied West Bank and introduce controversial exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
Why are the changes perceived as alarming?
Israel’s democratic structures are already weak, as there is no constitution, the government has a majority in the unicameral Knesset, and the office of the president is largely ceremonial.
The Supreme Court is therefore seen as the body that protects civil rights and the rule of law. The judiciary plays an important role in controlling the executive in the country.
A weakened judiciary, critics say, would see greater exercise of power by the government, a male-dominated coalition whose members have advocated full annexation of the occupied West Bank, as well as policies against LGBTQ people, Palestinian citizens of Israel and women.
Have the protests had an effect?
Netanyahu’s religio-nationalist government launched the revision in January after it was sworn in. However, alarm by Israel’s western allies, the falling sheqel and weekly protests that have seen thousands of marches forced Netanyahu to suspend the review in late March to allow mediation with opposition parties.
Talks broke down last month and the Israeli leader relaunched the legislation, scrapping some changes but continuing with others.
Protesters say Netanyahu is moving forward with the overhaul in a slower and more measured way to appease opponents.
“The government has gotten smarter,” said Josh Drill, a spokesperson for the protest movement. “They saw the consequences of trying to ram the revision through, and they decided to take it one piece at a time instead.”
What’s next?
Yoav Gallant, the country’s defense minister, said he is alarmed by the growing number of people refusing to serve in the military if the overhaul goes ahead and are trying to push for Monday’s vote to be postponed, Israeli media reported.
If Monday’s “reasonableness” bill passes, it would be the first major piece of legislation to become law.
However, if the Supreme Court strikes it down, Netanyahu’s coalition would have to decide whether to accept the ruling, triggering a potential constitutional crisis, analysts say.
Meanwhile, the protests are likely to continue to grow in intensity as all factions of Israeli society, including army reservists, doctors, CEOs of major Israeli banks, have warned of the changes in recent days.
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