The debate went on for eight hours through the evening and into the night before the proposed legislative changes survived the first round with 63 to 47 votes after midnight on Tuesday night, writes Haaretz. Thus, it appears that Netanyahu can gain traction for reform. – A big night and a big day, he wrote on Twitter after the initial voting round. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (centre) got what he wanted in the first vote in the Knesset last night. Photo: POOL / Reuters Earlier in the day, thousands of protesters gathered in front of the national assembly, the Knesset. It is the second week in a row that Israelis have gathered outside the National Assembly in protest against the government’s legal reform. There have been many protests against the reform, which critics believe weakens Israeli democracy. Photo: RONEN ZVULUN / Reuters Fighting for the “soul of the nation” Opposition leader Yair Lapid says the protesters are fighting “for the soul of the nation”. He wrote on Twitter that the reform “will damage democracy, the economy and security” in the country. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has several times encouraged the government and the opposition to discuss compromise. Both parties have said they are willing to do that, but they disagree on the terms. The critics believe that the reform will lead to the erosion of the independent role of the courts, and that the Prime Minister will shift power from the courts to one hand. The proposal for judicial reform must go through two more voting rounds before the outcome is final.
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Israel takes controversial legal reform one step further – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
