Israeli Supreme Court Delays Amendment Protecting Prime Minister from Forced Resignation

The Israeli Supreme Court today, Wednesday, delayed the application of an amendment to a basic law that would protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from being forced to resign if ordered by the Attorney General or the Supreme Court. A statement from the court indicated that it would postpone the amendment until the next session of the Israeli parliament, stating that it is "clearly of a personal nature" and constitutes an abuse of the Knesset's foundational authority. Supporters of the amendment argue that it aims to protect any democratically elected leader from unlawful ousting. However, judges in favor of the delay noted that the amendment was enacted to meet the needs of a specific individual. Political watchdog groups and an opposition party challenged the amendment approved on March 23 to a "basic law" that is semi-constitutional, describing it as aimed at enabling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to maintain his term amid ongoing corruption trials. On Monday, the Israeli Supreme Court annulled a controversial law enacted by Netanyahu's far-right government that had curtailed some powers of the Supreme Court and sparked months of protests across the country.