Global Courant
In a televised speech Monday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered to negotiate a controversial package of judicial reforms through November, issuing a “call for peace and mutual respect” amid resurgent mass protests and accusations that he is moving the country toward authoritarian rule.
Netanyahu, who was released from hospital earlier Monday after being fitted with a pacemaker, saw his coalition’s Fairness Standards Act, part of the judicial reform package, vote 64 to 0 after opposition members left the hall of Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset, once voting had begun.
“Today we have taken a necessary democratic step, one that is intended to restore some degree of balance between the authorities, which we have had here for 50 years. We have passed the amendment to the standard of fairness so that the elected government can direct policy according to the will of the majority of the citizens of the state,” Netanyahu said Monday evening.
“Executing the will of the voter is in no way ‘the end of democracy,'” Netanyahu said, rejecting opposition leader Yair Lapid’s categorization. “It is the essence of democracy. Due to the importance of the issue, the coalition has been working all along to reach consensus with the opposition. This was not a matter of course.”
ISRAEL PARLIAMENT APPROVES NETANYAHU’S SCIENCE FOR REFORM AMONG MASS PROTESTS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participates in the vote in Jerusalem on July 24, 2023 to pass a controversial bill as part of the government’s judicial overhaul plan. The judicial overhaul plan has divided Israel. (Noam Moskowitz – Knesset – Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“Here we agreed to stop the legislation; we stopped it for three consecutive months. We agreed to major changes to the original policy,” the prime minister continued. “I say with regret: none of our compromise proposals were accepted, not one. Even in the plenum today, while the vote was going on, we tried to reach an agreement until the last minute, but the other party consistently refused. I remind you that until recently, senior opposition members were in favor of changing the standard of reasonableness. Others even agreed to cancel it altogether.”
Netanyahu said the lack of an agreement does not justify mass demonstrations “disrupting the lives of – and causing suffering to – millions of citizens who have been unable to get to work, the hospital or the airport due to blocked highways, delayed ambulances, fires and the blocking of Ben-Gurion International Airport.”
Israeli protesters set fire during a protest against the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli parliament approves an important part of the bill to restructure the judiciary. (Ilia yefimovich/photo alliance via Getty Images)
“In the coming days, the coalition will already turn to the opposition to promote dialogue between us. We are ready to discuss everything immediately and do it in the round of negotiations during the Knesset recess and reach a comprehensive agreement on everything, and we will add more time if necessary, until the end of November,” Netanyahu said. “That’s plenty of time to reach agreement on everything.”
ISRAEL PM NETANYAHU RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AS DEMONSTRATORS PROTEST JUDICIAL REVIEW PLAN AHEAD OF KEY VOTE
As Netanyahu’s allies celebrated their victory and vowed to press ahead with more changes, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and opponents said they would challenge the new law in the Supreme Court. The overhaul requires sweeping changes aimed at curtailing the powers of the judiciary, from limiting the Supreme Court’s ability to challenge parliamentary decisions to changing the way judges are selected. Opponents see the reforms as a power grab that will fuel corruption and remove surveillance.
“We agree. We all agree that Israel must remain a strong democracy, that it will continue to protect individual rights for all, that it will not become a state governed by Jewish religious law, that the court will remain independent and that no party will control it,” the prime minister warned in response to criticism of his own justice reform package. “I would like to reiterate that: No party should control the court. This will not happen during our watch.”
Protesters carry Israeli flags and banners depicting Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, during a demonstration outside the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem on Monday, July 24, 2023. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Netanyahu also called on the Israeli people to “keep the job of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) out of the political debate.”
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Monday’s vote rocked the cohesion of Israel’s mighty military and repeatedly caused a stir among Israel’s closest ally, the United States. Thousands of military reservists have declared their refusal to serve under a government they believe would put the country on a path to dictatorship – raising fears that the military’s preparedness could be compromised.
“Let’s reach agreement. This is my appeal to you, and I extend my hand and call for peace and mutual respect between us,” Netanyahu concluded.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Danielle Wallace is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering politics, crime, police and more. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @danimwallace.
