Netanyahu coalition prepare judicial reform bill for final vote
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition is preparing the judicial reform bill for the final vote amid heightened protests in the deeply embattled entity.
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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks on a mobile phone as he sits at the Knesset in occupied Al-Quds, July 10, 2023 (AP)
An Israeli committee in the Knesset on Thursday adopted a key clause drafted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government as part of its controversial judicial reform bill, a statement revealed amid an uptick in protests before the bill is put up for a final vote.
The Knesset's law committee approved the proposal limiting the "reasonability" clause allowing the judiciary to strike down government decisions in a marathon debate that ended on Wednesday.
"With nine Knesset members supporting and seven opposing", the bill is due for second and third readings on Monday, a statement from the Knesset said.
If it were to pass on Monday before the Knesset, the bill would be the first major component of the occupation's proposed judicial overhaul.
Protests across Israeli-occupied Palestine continued Tuesday as thousands of Israeli settlers blocked off the main roads in "Tel Aviv". The protests had been called for as part of the "Day of Resistance" aimed at showcasing mass opposition to the judicial reforms, which revealed a deeply-rooted divide among the settlers.
US President Joe Biden told The New York Times on Wednesday that Netanyahu must stop the judicial reform legislation and build a broad consensus within "Israel".
That followed talks between Biden and Netanyahu that place on Monday, with the US leader inviting the Israeli premier to the White House, the first since the latter returned to office.
Biden advised Netanyahu "not to rush" and asserted his belief that "the best outcome is to continue to seek the broadest possible consensus here."
Biden also told The New York Times that he "respect[s] for the enduring protests, saying they are a direct plea for the Israeli premier not to pass "anything this important without a broad consensus."
Biden in March urged Netanyahu to "walk away" from the judicial overhaul legislation, warning that "Israel" "cannot continue down this road."
Just this Saturday, Israelis took to the streets for the 28th consecutive week to protest the proposed judicial amendments put forward by Netanyahu's far-right government.
Thousands of people took to the streets in numerous settlements, with the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth reporting that there were as many as 100,000 settlers in "Tel Aviv" alone, and Walla! saying there were 20,000 in occupied Yafa.
This comes in light of demonstrations in a series of Israeli settlements and occupied cities, including Haifa, "Rishon LeTsiyon", "Rehovot", and "Afula", which were held in conjunction with the main demonstration in Kaplan Street in "Tel Aviv", where it is set for former Israeli Justice Minister Dan Meridor and professor Shikma Bressler, as well as journalists to address the crowds rallying in protest of the government's actions.
Political divisions in "Israel" continue to deepen between the government and the opposition. "Israel" has witnessed several protests by thousands of settlers against the occupation's government in which demonstrators express their opposition to the judicial reforms it plans to enact
The opposition has demanded the complete cancellation of these amendments despite the government's decision to temporarily suspend them.
The protests, which began in December last year, saw the participation of tens of thousands of settlers and later transformed into massive demonstrations where around a quarter of a million settlers took to the streets against Netanyahu's plans that set to undermine occupation courts and further empower security and military institutions.
