First bill in government’s judicial shakeup plan clears initial reading in Knesset

The first bill in the government’s contentious plan to rebalance power away from the judiciary and toward political ranks clears the first of its three readings in the Knesset plenum.

The bill passes by a vote of 63-47.

Opposition lawmakers chant “shame!” as the coalition votes the bill through the Knesset. A number of the bill’s opponents are ejected from the plenum during the vote.

Paired in a back-to-back vote with a related bill, this first bill will amend the Basic Law: The Judiciary to cement government control over judicial appointments and revoke the court’s ability to review Basic Laws.

Held hours after 40,000 protesters gathered outside the Knesset, the nearly seven-hour debate started with protests by opposition MKs and anti-government demonstrators, but ultimately was sparsely attended by lawmakers.

Speaking shortly before the vote, Justice Minister Yariv Levin says that the legislation is part of a process to correct historical wrongs.

A longtime ideological advocate of constraining the Supreme Court’s power, Levin says that sections of Israeli society were “trampled” and “disrespected” by the Supreme Court.

Addressing the Knesset floor, Levin says that through this legislation, “masses of citizens are raising their voice, voices which have not been heard for decades by the justice system, which was blind to their needs, which neglected them.”

The justice minister continues that the court “disrespected them, that was closed to them” and “this evening, I stand here in determination and great pride, to make their voices heard and to promise that onwards, their voices will be heard.”

Levin also says the reform will rebalance power toward the Knesset, after the court expanded its purview three decades earlier.”

The Yisrael Beytenu party boycotted the vote.

“Regarding what will happen today, we, as Yisrael Beiteinu, will boycott the vote and leave the hall. The very fact of voting, even voting ‘against,’ is legitimizing a series of laws that contradict the Declaration of Independence, and because a series of laws contradict the Declaration of Independence, I call on President Herzog not to sign them. Any law that contradicts the Declaration of Independence, I expect the President will not sign it,” said party leader Avigdor Liberman.