Israel's Netanyahu to drop most contentious part of judicial revamp: Report
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Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's plan would have allowed the national legislature to overturn Supreme Court rulings.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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TEL AVIV – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will drop the most controversial part of his plan to remake the court system, which would have allowed the national legislature to overturn Supreme Court rulings, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday.
In an interview, Mr Netanyahu told the newspaper that he will also revise another controversial element that would have given the ruling coalition more power to appoint judges.
He added he is not sure what the new version of the plan will look like.
“I’m attentive to the public pulse, and to what I think will pass muster,” Mr Netanyahu said.
Last week, Israeli lawmakers began debating the Bill that would limit the Supreme Court’s powers, rebooting a fiercely opposed judicial overhaul
The changes also stirred Western concern over Israel’s democratic health and spooked investors. Critics see these as an attempt to curb court independence by Mr Netanyahu, who is on trial on graft charges that he denies.
In the interview, the three-time prime minister rejected calls to join the West’s efforts to arm Ukraine, while saying he has also shared his concerns with Moscow over Russia’s growing military ties to Iran.
On Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu said he has been invited to China and emphasised that the United States remains Israel’s key ally. REUTERS
