Israel’s Parliament passed a law on Monday that limits the power of the judiciary. The full impact of this move is expected to remain unclear for several weeks or even months.
Opponents of the law are concerned about a potential slide towards authoritarianism, while the government, which dismisses these concerns, is waiting to see how its critics will respond. The law removes the Supreme Court’s authority to overturn government actions and appointments it deems “unreasonable,” which opponents fear is the first step in undermining the independence of the judiciary.
Some hard-line members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition have expressed a desire to dismiss the attorney general, who was appointed by the previous government. It is also possible that the government may try to reinstate Aryeh Deri, an ultra-Orthodox lawmaker whose appointment to Mr. Netanyahu’s cabinet was blocked by the Supreme Court earlier this year.
On the other side of the political spectrum, leaders of the protest movement, which has been holding mass rallies for 29 consecutive weeks, have vowed to continue their fight. The country’s main union is still considering whether to hold a general strike. Many leaders from Israel’s high-tech industry are contemplating relocating their businesses abroad. Additionally, thousands of military reservists have announced that they will no longer volunteer for service.
However, it may take weeks or months before the crisis escalates further.
Likud, Mr. Netanyahu’s party, stated earlier this month that it will not dismiss the attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, despite individual lawmakers calling for her removal. Likud also rejected an attempt by ultra-Orthodox Jewish lawmakers to pass a bill declaring the study of the Torah a “significant service to the state of Israel,” which would have angered the secular opposition.
Parliament is scheduled to go on recess on Wednesday until October, creating a period during which new legislation cannot be passed. This poses a challenge for the protesters, as there will be few lawmakers present to directly challenge the rallies and encampments that have emerged outside the Parliament building in recent days.
For now, the umbrella alliance that coordinates between various protest groups plans to continue holding weekly mass demonstrations on Saturday nights. However, protest leaders may hold off on organizing other demonstrations until the Supreme Court convenes to review the new law.
“People are still trying to understand the situation,” said Josh Drill, a spokesman for the alliance. “Because yesterday was such an intense day, the different groups are still deliberating,” he added.
The impact of the reservists’ resignations may also take time to be felt. Only a few hundred reservists have…
2023-07-25 13:30:33
Source from www.nytimes.com