JEDDAH: Israel’s Supreme Court heard petitions on Tuesday challenging measures by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to curb the power of judges, a historic hearing in a crisis that has tormented the country for months.
In a packed courtroom where all 15 judges sat together for the first time in Israel’s history, watchdog groups appealed against an amendment passed in July ending the Supreme Court's ability to overturn government decisions that it deems “unreasonable.”
Critics say the amendment removes a vital democratic oversight mechanism in Israel's political system. The government says its aim is to stop political overreach by unelected judges. “The cardinal question here is who has the last word,” Ilan Bombach, the government's representative, told the court.
The crisis has split society, prompting months of mass demonstrations by protesters who see the extreme right-wing coalition’s overhaul as a threat to democracy.
The showdown pitting the judiciary against the executive and legislature has gripped the nation.
Business and civil society groups say the overhaul risks undermining the economy and driving away investment. Thousands of military reservists have stopped reporting for duty.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin, an architect of the judicial overhaul, said the Supreme Court session was “a mortal blow to democracy and the standing of the Knesset.” Yair Lapid, centrist head of the parliamentary opposition, said the amendment was “warped and thuggish.”
With two more appeals this month and the court ruling possibly as late as January, analysts said there was still time for both sides to reach agreement.
