Israel's parliament passes law limiting Supreme Court's power, sparking mass protests - USA Trending Blog

 Israel's parliament passes law limiting Supreme Court's power, sparking mass protests - USA Trending Blog

 Israel's parliament passes law limiting Supreme Court's power, sparking mass protests - USA Trending Blog

Israel's Parliament approved divisive legislation Monday that remakes part of the country’s justice system, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was released from the hospital after having a pacemaker fitted.

The law weakens Supreme Court oversight of the government, a move that critics claim will erode Israel's democracy and threatens the secular character of its state institutions. It was approved despite months of protests, the biggest in Israel's history, that have engulfed the nation's military, business and legal communities.

pposition lawmakers, who boycotted the vote, shouted "shame" as the "reasonableness" bill was approved.

The judicial overhaul has divided Israel, testing the fragile social ties that bind the country, rattling the cohesion of its powerful military and repeatedly drawing concern from its closest ally, the United States. It is being driven by Netanyahu's governing coalition, which is made up of ultranationalist and ultra-religious parties. They argue the reforms are necessary so that their rights and interests are protected.

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Early Monday, protesters blocked a road leading to the Knesset, Israel's Parliament. Police used water cannons to push them back. Businesses across the country shuttered their doors in protest of the vote. The vote passed despite a warning from Israel's President Isaac Herzog Monday that Israel was in a "state of national emergency."

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etanyahu’s sudden hospitalization over the weekend for the implant of a pacemaker added another twist to an already dramatic series of events. Netanyahu's doctors said Sunday the procedure had gone smoothly. In a short video statement from the hospital late Sunday, Netanyahu, 73, said he felt fine and thanked his doctors for his treatment and the public for wishing him well. He said he planned to vote Monday on the reforms.

I want you to know that tomorrow morning I’m joining my colleagues at the Knesset," he said in the video.

Last week, the Israeli prime minister was diagnosed with dehydration after he was rushed to the hospital after having experienced mild dizziness. Netanyahu paused the overhaul in March after intense pressure from protesters and labor strikes that halted outgoing flights and shut down parts of the economy.