From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Lawmakers advance bill for controversial overhaul of committee that selects judges
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Lawmakers in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee vote to advance a controversial bill to overhaul the composition of the Judicial Selection Committee for the second and third readings necessary for it to become law.
According to the Ynet news site, opposition lawmakers slammed chairman Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism) for preventing them from addressing the committee ahead of the vote, with one shouting that he was acting like a “dictator.”
In a statement, National Unity chairman Benny Gantz accuses the coalition of bringing Israel back to October 6 with the revival of its judicial overhaul agenda.
Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar attacked on October 7 after identifying a “weak point” and “here we are a year and a half later, giving the same gift back,” Gantz says. “Instead of uniting and protecting ourselves, we are returning to division.”
“On fundamental issues related to what society looks like, you cannot go by political force – the government has a responsibility to restrain itself and not save itself. What we see is not majority rule, it is majority tyranny,” he adds.
If passed, the legislation would dramatically shift the composition of the committee, which makes all judicial appointments. The bill would switch out the two Israel Bar Association representatives of the nine-member panel in favor of two lawyers, one to be appointed by the coalition and one by the opposition.
Appointments to the lower courts would be made by a simple majority, but would need at least one vote each from committee representatives of the coalition, opposition and the Supreme Court. Appointments to the Supreme Court would need at least one vote from the coalition and opposition, but not require a vote from a Supreme Court justices.
This would give the coalition and opposition representatives veto power over all appointments to the lower courts and the Supreme Court, while significantly reducing the influence of the three Supreme Court justices on the committee.
The Times of Israel Community.