Israel PM deems legal reform vote as 'necessary democratic step'

In a televised address, Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasised the importance of unity as a nation, even amid differences of opinion. He justified the necessity the legislation, which aims to enable an elected government to govern effectively and restore a sense of equilibrium between the different branches of government.

“Realizing the will of the voter is certainly not the end of democracy. It’s the essence of democracy,” he said. 

In response to the enactment of the reasonableness law, the Israel Medical Association has declared a 24-hour strike beginning tomorrow. During this strike, doctors will adhere to a weekend schedule, tending solely to urgent cases, while emergency rooms will continue to function without disruption.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to give a statement to the media in about an hour.

Haaretz newspaper reported that Netanyahu is expected urge the opposition to return to negotiations. Reports say says Netanyahu is hoping to calm the mass protests and convince reservists not to suspend their service, as many have threatened to do.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that the passage of the judicial reform law was “only the beginning”, and added. that many more are coming.

Speaking to reporters Gavir said, “There are many more laws we need to pass as part of the judicial overhaul,” he says.

Speaking about the protesters, he said, “To those protesting now, you’re our brothers and we love you.”

• Prime Minister Bnjamin Netanyahu is expected to adress the nation.
• According to reports, Netanyahu will meet the chief of staff of the army

Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Monday (July 24) passed a key clause of an overarching judicial reform bill that seeks to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court.

Called the “reasonableness bill”, it seeks to strip the top court of the power to declare government decisions unreasonable.

Read more

The bill passed with 64 votes in favour and 0 against, as opposition National Unity MK lawmakers boycott the final vote on the bill in protest. 

According to the law’s text, courts are prohibited from exercising any scrutiny over the “reasonableness” of cabinet and minister decisions, including appointments and the choice to not exercise vested authorities.

The first reading of the bill was completed, and now it will be sent to third and fourth reading of the bill are about to take place accordingly. Once all the three readings are done, then the legislation will be passed into law. Reports suggest that lsat-minute compromise talks are still being held.  

At least 19 people protesting against the controversial judicial overhaul bill in Jerusalem have been arrested, Times of Israel newspaper reported.

The last-minute compromise beaing talked amongst the lawmakers is to stop the voting after the law's second reading was approved, and send it back to the committe for review, Channel 12 reports, without sourcing.

After that, the law would then be returned for its third and final reading, with a text agreed upon in talks with the opposition, in a week’s time. Further judicial overhaul legislation would be delayed for a year, with the goal of reaching consensus.

However, Channel 12 reports that this last-minute consensus is unlikely to happen since that the compromise being vehemently opposed by  Justice Minister and judicial overhaul architect Yariv Levin and Minister of National Security of Israel Ben Gvir.

Hectic negotiations are still underway even as Israeli lawmakers begin to vote for judicial overhaul.

Channel 12 reports that some ministers are engaging in last-minute intense debate to reach a compromise.

The TV station claims that Justice Minister Yariv Levin is at the forefront of opposition to any such move, while Defence Minister Yoav Gallant is at the heart of the effort.

It further claims that coalition members have even been consulting with legal experts about how it might be procedurally possible to engineer a compromise even as the bill is being voted through.

Thousands of Israeli demonstrators rallied in Jerusalem against a controversial Judicial Reform Bill that now faces a key vote. This will be a showdown between the hard-line religious nationalist coalition and the Israeli society.

Netanyahu refused to meet the Chief of Staff for a security review before the vote, the Prime Minister's Office claims. The meeting was scheduled in advance for 5:00 pm, reports N12news.

According to Times of Israel newspaper, Head of the Operations Directorate, Major General Oded Basiuk, and the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, Major General Aharon Haliva, arrive to brief lawmakers about military readiness as protests over the judicial overhaul roil the Israel Defence Forces’ ranks.

Israel's parliament, the Knesset, began voting on Monday (July 24) on key judicial overhaul.  

According to Times of Israel newspaper, the second and third reading tp approve the law is expected to last around three hours.

Local media reports stated that negotiations on a compromise with the opposition collapsed minutes ago. It is being said that the coalition iis bent-on passing the bill in its current form, and refused to present a watrered-down version.

Channel 12 reports that Justice Minister Yariv Levin made clear to Netanyahu during their discussions just prior to the voting that if the law does not pass in its current form, the coalition would collapse.

The hospital treating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was released on Monday ahead of a key vote on legal changes.

Netanyahu was rushed to the hospital over the weekend for an emergency pacemaker implantation.

The procedure went smoothly and he said he planned to be out in time to vote for the first major piece of his government's legal overhaul.

People protesting against the key judicial reform bill chained themselves outside Israel's Knesset on Monday (July 24), as the country's president led a last minute bid for a compromise on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's contentious judicial overhaul.

Police used a water cannon to disperse demonstrators opposed to the judicial campaign by Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition that has plunged Israel into one of its worst crises in decades.

Some protesters dressed as judges, handcuffed to a rope, to show that: "Bibi wants to take all the judges under his authority to get free of charge," as protester Galit Hermoni.