The bill removes the power the Supreme Court has to overrule government decisions that the judges believe are unreasonable. After more than 24 hours of very divided debate, they have started to go through the at least 140 changes that have been proposed. The result is expected at 15:00 Norwegian time. – Don’t you have anything to say, one of the opposition politicians shouted to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant when the vote in the Knesset started, according to The New York Times. – Our country will be torn apart! Demonstrators have chained themselves to the Israeli parliament in a last ditch effort to stop what they believe will be the hook on the door for democracy. Protesters tried to block the road to the National Assembly before the politicians gathered on Monday morning. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg / AP Several tens of thousands took to the streets During the weekend several tens of thousands of people demonstrated in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv to show resistance. Many have slept in tents so that they could be present on voting day. Israel is in its most serious domestic political crisis in several decades. Several banks and companies have also joined the protests. The movement towards a new form of law has received support from both the left and the right in politics, secular and religious groups, peace activists and reserve soldiers. At least six protesters have been arrested so far, according to Reuters. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg / AP So far, at least six people have been arrested outside the Knesset, Reuters writes. – The governing powers do not listen to us. This means that we are at the start of a new era. A bad era, said one of the counter-protesters, Idit Dekel, to AFP. – For me it is catastrophic. Government members in support demonstration On Monday morning, the president of Israel, Isaac Herzog, said that a compromise on the legislative changes was on the table, according to The New York Times. But early in the afternoon, the Israeli news website N12 reported that the compromise talks had “collapsed”. Several thousand have demonstrated to show that they support the reform. In Tel Aviv, four ministers in the government were on the speaking list, according to the newspaper Haaretz. A demonstration of support for judicial reform took place on Sunday in Tel Aviv. Photo: Ariel Schalit / AP The supporters also held up blue and white flags and signs promoting democracy in Israel, reports Reuters. These are largely religious nationalists, who helped then-corruption-indicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regain power in December. Education Minister Yoav Kisch advocated imprisoning the many thousands of reserve soldiers who will refuse to serve if the reform is not scrapped. Kisch believes that democracy will end if the reform goes through. Former top judge of the Israeli Supreme Court, Aharon Barak, believes the opposite. If you weaken the courts, you also weaken the principle of separation of powers. Netanyahu back after heart surgery On Saturday, Netanyahu was admitted to hospital for a heart operation. Doctors have now inserted a pacemaker, the hospital told Reuters. The Prime Minister has postponed several of his trips abroad. Photo: JACK GUEZ / AFP Despite the drama, he published a video speech on Sunday, in which he said he was in “radiant health”. – We continue with the attempt to complete the legislative change, and try to do it unanimously, he said in the video. – In any case, I want them to know that I will be present with my colleagues in the Knesset. Netanyahu was discharged from the hospital on Monday morning. He is now present in the National Assembly. The Knesset, where the party in Netanyahu’s far-right government has a majority, has already approved the reform in the first of three votes. Several tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated at the weekend against the judicial reform in Tel Aviv. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg / AP Last month, Netanyahu removed the part of the reform that was most controversial at the time. This was the proposal to allow the National Assembly to override the Supreme Court with a majority of just one person.
ttn-69
Protesters have chained themselves to the parliament building – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
