Israel’s Supreme Court on Monday struck down a controversial law passed by the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which revoked part of the high court’s power and had sparked protests across the country.
The law was part of a reform of the judicial system proposed by Netanyahu and his coalition made up of religious and nationalist parties, which caused a deep division in Israel and concern about the country’s democratic principles among Western allies.
Monday’s court ruling made headlines again in Israel, where the news has been dominated by war since Hamas carried out a deadly attack in southern Israel on October 7.
The new legislation presented to the court had removed one, but not all, of the tools that the Supreme Court has to overturn the decisions of the government and ministers. It removed the court’s ability to overturn decisions it considered “irrational”.
Eight of the 15 judges ruled in favor of nullifying the law, the court said.
Netanyahu’s Likud party said the decision was unfortunate and that it went against “the people’s will for unity, especially during times of war.”
Opposition parliamentarians praised the court’s decision.
The Supreme Court, in a summary of its decision, said the majority of judges decided to nullify the law because it would seriously harm Israel’s democracy.
Por Ari Rabinovitch