The stance of Israelis opposing the judicial reforms proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strengthened following the election of one of their supporters to a position with influence over an important committee for selecting judges. Former Attorney General Amit Becher was elected president of the Bar Association after an unusually public dispute with a candidate backed by members of the religious camp. Opposition leader Yair Lapid praised the voting results and described them as "a victory for justice, truth, and democracy."
The amendments proposed by Netanyahu's government have led to unprecedented protests in the streets lasting several months. The reforms include expanding the work of the judges' appointment committee, which gives more power to the coalition.
Netanyahu did not comment on the elections, but his far-right finance minister urged people not to vote for Becher, describing him as an extremist. The Bar Association stated that "polling stations remained open for extra time to accommodate registered lawyers, who participated in numbers surpassing those in previous elections." Becher's competitor, Efraim Naveh, who also faced personal scandals, said, "I do not see myself as important enough for people who have never voted in the Bar Association to feel that they have nothing more important than voting against me. They came to vote against the amendments."
