Judicial reform law in Israel to be postponed until Knesset summer session

MOSCOW, 27 Mar — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir agreed to postpone the adoption of a law on judicial reform until the summer session of Parliament, reported CAN with reference to the Otzma Yehudit party.

In exchange, Netanyahu agreed to encourage the formation of a civilian national guard at an upcoming cabinet meeting, according to the broadcaster. Its creation is sought by Ben-Gvir.

Massive protests have been taking place in Israel since early January against the government’s proposed judicial reform, which would limit the powers of the Supreme Court and allow parliamentarians to challenge its decisions, and the cabinet to control the appointment of judges.

More than 600,000 protesters took to the streets last Sunday, according to local media.

A new wave of demonstrations was provoked by the resignation of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, who became the first key minister of the Netanyahu government to oppose the adoption of new laws. Previously, various groups of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists wrote open letters to the government demanding a stop to the reform and refused to serve in the reserve.

Judicial reform implies that any Supreme Court veto can be overridden by a simple parliamentary majority of 61 votes. In other words, the government wants to ensure that the judiciary can no longer significantly influence the decisions of the executive and legislative branches.