Israel passes Netanyahu-backed law to give politicians more control of judiciary
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Protests against the judicial overhaul on Wednesday in Jerusalem. Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images
The Israeli parliament passed a law Thursday that changes the process of appointing judges and gives politicians more control over the process.
Why it matters: The legislation is the central element of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul program, which sparked massive protests when introduced in 2023. Those protests have reignited in recent weeks.
The big picture: The judiciary is by far the most powerful institutional check on the power of the government in Israel's parliamentary system, where there is no clear delineation between the executive and legislative branches.
- Netanyahu and his allies have long claimed the judiciary is against him.
- Their opponents claim the prime minister, who is currently standing trial for alleged corruption, is attempting to bend Israel's democratic institutions to his will.
Driving the news: The law passed 67-0 after a 17-hour filibuster, with the opposition boycotting the final vote.
- It comes after Netanyahu fired the head of Israel's Shin Bet domestic security agency, who had been overseeing an investigation into two of his close aides.
- The government has also started moving toward firing the attorney general.
The new push by the government, which takes place amid the resumption of the war in Gaza and the collapse of the hostage deal, led to a renewed wave of pro-democracy demonstrations around the country — the biggest since the Oct. 7 attacks.
- If the political instability deepens, it could undercut the Trump administration's efforts to pursue its broader regional agenda.
Between the lines: The judicial overhaul had been frozen for more than a year partially due to pressure from the Biden administration, but Netanyahu's coalition started to push for it again after President Trump's victory.
Breaking it down: Judges are appointed by a committee that includes three members of the governing coalition, one member of the opposition, two legal experts from Israel's bar association, and three members of the Supreme Court.
- The new legislation replaces the bar association's nominees with one lawyer selected by the government and one selected by the opposition.
- That would give political appointees a clear majority on the panel and the ability to make appointments through political deals.
- Under the new law, if a deadlock over a Supreme Court appointment lasts more than a year, representatives of the coalition and the opposition will give the other side a list of candidates to choose from — further politicizing the process, in the eyes of Netanyahu's critics.
Yes, but: The news law will only come into effect after the next elections in 2026. The opposition parties said on Thursday they will cancel the law if they form the next government.
