Background
Wikipedia
The 2023 Israeli judicial reform is a proposed series of changes to the judicial system and the balance of powers in Israel put forward by the current Israeli government, and spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Yariv Levin and the Chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, Simcha Rothman. It seeks to curb the judiciary’s influence over lawmaking and public policy following the 1992 Constitutional Revolution, by limiting the Supreme Court’s power to exercise judicial review, granting the government control over judicial appointments and limiting the authority of its legal advisors. If adopted, the reform would grant the Knesset the power to override Supreme Court rulings that revoke laws passed by the Knesset by reintroducing the legislation and approving it with a majority of Knesset Members. The reform would additionally diminish the ability of courts to conduct judicial review of Basic Laws, and change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee so that a majority of its members are appointed by the government.
Levin and the ruling government coalition have stated that the above is the first step in their judicial reform, and that additional steps are planned, including: changing the appointment process of legal advisors to government ministries, such that they are appointed and dismissed by the ministers; making their legal advice a recommendation rather than binding on the ministers; and making them subordinate directly to the ministers rather than to the Justice Ministry’s professional oversight. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was forbidden from taking part in the debate over his government’s judicial reform program by attorney general’s order. Netanyahu maintains that it is necessary to strike a balance between democratically elected legislators and an activist judiciary that selects its own members and wields undue influence over public policy.
Videos
Al Jazeera English
- How serious is Israel’s political crisis for its gov’t? | Inside Story
- Profile
- Huge crowds demonstrated in Israel on Saturday night for tenth week running against plans to cut Supreme Court powers
Israel has seen the biggest protests yet against Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government and its plans to overhaul the judiciary.
Along with the Iran-Saudi deal to restore diplomatic relations, he’s facing mounting problems at home and abroad.
How serious is Israel’s political crisis? - Presenter: Adrian Finighan
- Guests:
- Gideon Levy, author and columnist at Haaretz Newspaper.
- Sally Abed – Palestinian living in Haifa, Podcast host and member of the leadership at Standing Together, the largest Jewish-Arab grassroot movement in Israel.
- Gil Hoffman, executive director of HonestReporting and former Chief Political Correspondent at the Jerusalem Post.
- Huge crowds demonstrated in Israel on Saturday night for tenth week running against plans to cut Supreme Court powers
- Videos
- Video #1
Channel:- Al Jazeera English
Date Published:- 2023-March-12th
Date Added:- 2023-March-12th
Link
- Video #1
- Profile
WION
- Israel: Over 200,000 people pack the streets of Tel Aviv | Latest World News | English News | WION
- Profile
- Israel is in the throes of possibly its biggest public uprising ever and is over the proposed judicial reforms. Protests over this issue are now in their 10th week with over half a million Israelis protesting on the streets, chanting that Israel will not be a dictatorship.
- Videos
- Video #1
Channel:- WION
Date Published:- 2023-March-12th
Date Added:- 2023-March-12th
Link
- Video #1
- Profile
MSNBC
- Defense Secretary Austin voices support for Israeli protests during trip to Tel Aviv
- Profile
- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin voiced his support for “checks and balances” during a trip to Israel that was cut short after protesters blocked major highways while demonstrating against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to reform the country’s judiciary. NBC News’ Raf Sanchez reports from Tel Aviv.
- Videos
- Video #1
Channel:- MSNBC
Date Published:- 2023-March-9th
Date Added:- 2023-March-12th
Link
- Video #1
- Profile
Learning in the Open 