Despite massive nationwide protests opposing the measure, Israel has passed the controversial judicial reform law set forth by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration.
In a statement on Monday, Netanyahu addressed the country after his government successfully passed the controversial law despite massive opposition. He said that he was fulfilling the will of the voters.
Israel Passes Controversial Judicial Reform Law
Netanyahu noted that the situation is not the end of democracy but rather, the essence of democracy, adding that the law being passed was a "necessary democratic move." He then blamed the opposition for refusing to compromise on the measure but did not go into detail what compromises the governing coalition had offered them.
As he did during a speech last week, the prime minister urged military reservists not to refuse to serve. As per CNN, he noted that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) relies on dedicated reservists who love their country.
Netanyahu then called on the army reservists to leave their service in the IDF out of the political debate that has engulfed the country. The situation comes as former United States Ambassador to Israel and former U.S. Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations Martin Indyk urged Israel to "consider standing on its own two feet" about the military aid that Washington sends.
During an interview on Monday, Indyk said Israel should begin "weaning itself off its dependence on US military assistance." He noted that the country would be better off if it were not dependent on military aid from the American government.
While the American government has never considered withdrawing the aid it sends to Israel, lawmakers have recently called for it to come with certain restrictions instead. However, Indyk said that providing aid to Israel is a sensitive topic that enjoys strong bipartisan support.
The controversial law removes the power of the Israeli Supreme Court to overrule government actions that it deems unreasonable. According to BBC, it was the first measure approved in a series of tensely-fought reforms that sought to curb the power of the country's courts.
Curbing the Supreme Court's Powers
Netanyahu's planned reforms have prompted what is considered the largest protests in the history of Israel, with opponents issuing warnings that they endanger the country's state as a democracy.
On the other hand, the government argued that the measures are needed to correct the imbalance in power that they claim has resulted in courts increasingly intervening in political decisions in the last few decades.
Officials passed the so-called "reasonableness" bill with a final vote of 64-0 as the opposition boycotted the final vote. In remarks to the Knesset, Yair Lapid called the development a takeover by an extreme minority over the Israeli majority.
A Palestinian member of the Knesset, Ahmad Tibi, said that the new law only weakens and eliminates any form of supervision that the Supreme Court has over the government's decisions. He added that this is particularly true when it comes to situations where lawmakers make decisions related to official appointments and other major issues, said Aljazeera.
