Israeli judicial bill passes vote as opposition politicians walk out

A deeply controversial bill that critics claim will undermine the independence of Israel’s judiciary has passed an initial parliamentary vote amid raucous scenes as opposition politicians screamed their objections.

The government’s intended changes have generated 26 consecutive weeks of protest across the whole of Israel, but Benjamin Netanyahu’s strictly Orthodox and far-right coalition allies are dead-set on pursuing the unpopular legislation.

On Tuesday the so-called judicial reform reasonableness standard bill was passed in a Constitution, Law and Justice Committee vote – nine to four – and will now be sent to the Knesset plenum for first reading.

Such scenes of visceral anger in the Knesset, with several parliamentarians ejected from the chamber, are rare in Israeli politics, as opposition Members accused the committee of not hearing legal experts’ views before voting.

Finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, the leader of a far-right party, praised committee chairman Simcha Rothman for his work to advance the bill, saying that it was important for democracy. As he spoke, several Members walked out.

Earlier in the week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Wall Street Journal that he had withdrawn the ‘override clause’, which would have let the government override Israel’s Supreme Court.

Currently, Israeli courts can judicially review a government action if it is deemed to go beyond the scope of a reasonable and responsible authority. The bill Smotrich and Rothman are pushing would prevent the application of a reasonableness standard in court judgements.

Opposition Members say it would erode Israel’s system of checks and balances, which in turn would allow political corruption to flourish.

Israel’s Attorney-General has said that ‘reasonableness’ is an important standard in the Israeli legal system, and that disregarding it could lead to unreasonable decisions by the government, harm the efforts of law enforcement, and lead to judicial appointments that could undermine public trust.