Jerusalem

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Doctors in Israel staged a massive protest on Tuesday (July 25) against the passing of a key clause of the judicial overhaul. According to a report by The Guardian, the Israeli Medical Association (IMA) said is holding a 24-hour protest, with exemptions for medical care in Jerusalem and emergency care across the country. As per the Intern Doctors Organization, the doctors are set to be joined in strike action on Tuesday by 73% of interns. 

Israel's Health Minister Moshe Arbel is reportedly seeking an injunction to prevent the doctors’ strike from going ahead. Last week, the IMA held a brief strike as a warning, arguing the judicial overhaul would “devastate the healthcare system.”

The report further said that legal action, a general strike, and possible refusal from upwards of 10,000 military reservists to report for duty are on the cards as Israeli democracy enters a new chapter. 

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Protests rage on as Israel ratifies key bill of judicial overhaul

On Monday, Israel's parliament ratified the first bill of a judicial overhaul sought by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The bill, which limits the Supreme Court's powers to void some government decisions if it deemed them "unreasonable", was passed by a 64-to-0 vote after opposition lawmakers abandoned the session in protest. 

Also read | Israel PM defends 'necessary' judicial reform vote amid escalating protests

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The amendment is part of broader judicial changes the government announced earlier this year, which it said were needed to push back against what it describes as an overreach by a Supreme Court that it said had become too politically interventionist.

However, critics have said that the changes would open the door to abuses of power by removing effective checks on the executive's authority.

The protests against the judicial overhaul have raged with police using water cannons to disperse the demonstrators. On Monday, at least 19 protesters were arrested. 

Will seek dialogue with opposition: PM Netanyahu

Addressing the country, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he would seek dialogue with the opposition to reach an all-inclusive agreement (on the judicial changes) by the end of November.

"We all agree that Israel must remain a strong democracy, that it must continue protecting individual rights for everyone, that it will not become a state of (Jewish law), that the courts will remain independent," Netanyahu said. 

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