Netanyahu digs in on court overhaul, in the face of mass protests
Hours after his coalition passed a divisive law making it harder to remove him from office, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel vowed Thursday to proceed with an even more contentious judicial overhaul that has divided the country, spurring unrest in the military and mass protests in the streets.
In a defiant speech on prime- time television, Netanyahu promised to go ahead next week with plans to give the government greater control over appointments to the Supreme Court — emphatically squashing rumors that had swirled throughout the day that he was about to back down.
His speech capped a day in which thousands of protesters demonstrated across Israel against the plan, leading to confrontations with right-wing supporters of Netanyahu and clashes with police, who sprayed protesters with water cannons.
The address came just minutes after the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, met with Netanyahu to warn him about the effect the turmoil has had on the military, amid speculation that Gallant was about to speak out against the plan himself. The number of reservists reporting for duty this month has declined, the military confirmed Wednesday, amid widespread concerns among reservists about the effects of the judiciary plan.
The proposal would give the government more control over judicial appointments, weaken the Supreme Court by severely restricting judicial review of legislation, and allow Parliament to override court decisions. The plan by the far-right government has become one of the most controversial domestic issues in Israel's history, sparking weeks of angry protests by opponents who say that it would subvert the country's democratic system.
But despite the growing criticism, Netanyahu stood by his plan Thursday, declaring that it would restore balance between elected lawmakers and unelected judges. “It is not the end of democracy; it is the strengthening of democracy,” he said.
The drama in the streets and the halls of power Thursday followed in the wake of a vote in Parliament earlier in the day to make it more difficult to declare prime ministers incapacitated and remove them from office.
Critics said the bill was aimed at protecting Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption.