Three out of four Israelis – according to one survey – think democracy in Israel is endangered because of the proposed judicial reforms.
Author
Khinvraj Jangid, Associate Professor & Director of Jindal Center for Israel Studies, Jindal School of International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
Summary
Israel has seen an unprecedented number of political protests and strikes against the government of Benjamin Netanyahu for the last month and a half. On February 13, close to 10 lakh people staged a nation-wide strike and around one lakh gathered in front of the parliament in Jerusalem.
What has mobilised one of the strongest public protests in decades is the Netanyahu government’s controversial plan for judicial reforms: changing the composition of the committee that appoints judges to give a decisive edge to the parliamentarians in selecting judges, limiting judicial overview of the legislature and ending the judicial review system.
For Indians, this would seem to echo the debate instigated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party about the flaws in the collegium system under which judges are appointed.
“This overhaul of the judicial system may grant the government total control over the appointment of judges, including Supreme Court judges, and it can also severely limit the High Court of Justice’s ability to strike down legislation as well as allow the parliament to re-legislate laws with a simple majority,” said The Times of Israel.
Key principles such as the separation of power or checks-and-balances are under threat. Three out of four Israelis – according to one survey – think democracy in Israel is endangered because of the proposed judicial reforms. In addition, many of Netanyahu’s own right-wing loyalists have been hitting the streets after the prime minister, himself under trial, defended cabinet minister Aryeh Deri who was ousted by the courts due to past wrongdoings and criminal convictions.
Published in: Scroll.in
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