The Battle Over Judicial Reforms in Israel: From Parliament to the Courts

The Israeli Supreme Court indicated today, Wednesday, that it will consider an appeal against a new law that limits some of its powers, placing it in confrontation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government, which is seeking to amend the judicial system. According to a decision published on the court's website, a session for the appeal is scheduled for September. The court has not issued any judicial order against the new law, which came into effect today, Wednesday. A political monitoring group and the Israeli Bar Association filed a petition for the court to intervene. The court received several challenges to a legal amendment that was passed on Monday during a tumultuous session in the Knesset, which is controlled by the ruling coalition of nationalist and religious parties led by Netanyahu. The court's headquarters is only separated from the Knesset building in Jerusalem by a park. However, for many Israelis, the distance between the two buildings can feel insurmountable. They view the judiciary's gathering against the executive and legislative branches as a battle for the future of a country marked by political, religious, and ethnic polarization, as well as gender-based divisions.