No See, No Hear

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Israeli lawmakers in a first vote approved a draft law that would overhaul the country’s judiciary, even as thousands have marched in the streets for weeks against the contentious bill, Agence France-Presse reported Tuesday.

The proposed legislation – introduced earlier this year by the governing conservative coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – would allow Israel’s parliament to scrap rulings by the country’s Supreme Court with a simple majority vote. The changes would also give the government more power over the appointment of judges.

Netanyahu and his allies say the bill is necessary to reset the power balance between elected politicians and unelected judges on the powerful Supreme Court. But critics and opposition politicians fear such a move threatens Israel’s democracy by weakening key checks and balances on the executive and legislative branches.

For 10 weeks, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets denouncing the bill. Some critics, which include the business community and the military, noted that the overhaul was also part of an effort by Netanyahu to shield himself from corruption charges in an ongoing court battle.

In an earlier overnight session, lawmakers in their first vote also approved a bill that would significantly reduce the likelihood of a prime minister being declared incapacitated for reasons other than mental or physical impairments.

The judicial overhaul bill still faces scrutiny and passage through a committee and then must pass second and third votes before it becomes law.

Opposition parties said they will boycott the final votes.