JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new hard-right government unveiled a plan on Wednesday to reform the country’s Supreme Court, including a new review committee for nominations to the bench and the empowering of parliament to overturn rulings.
The announcement, by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, looked likely to sharpen feuding with the centre-left opposition in the Knesset and raise concerns abroad for the democratic heath of Israel.
“These reforms will strengthen the judicial system and restore public faith in it,” Levin said in a televised statement.
“People we did not vote for decide for us,” he said. “That’s not democracy.”
Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid said he would fight against the reforms and “cancel them when we return to power.”
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Howard Goller)
