Netanyahu pushes ahead with judicial reform amid protests

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — El gobierno israeli seguia adelante el lunes con un controvertido plan de reformar le system legal del país, weighs on a previous indignation that has included massive protests, advertencias de militares y empresarios y llamadas a la moderation de UNITED STATES.

Thousands of people were expected to rally for the second straight week outside parliament, or the Knesset, to oppose the plan as lawmakers prepared for a first vote.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, ultra-religious and ultra-nationalist lawmakers, say the plan aims to fix a system that has given courts and government legal advisers too much power over law-making and law-making. decision making.

His critics say he will upset the country’s system of democratic guarantees and balances and concentrate power in the hands of the prime minister. They also point out that Netanyahu, embroiled in trials on various corruption charges, has a conflict of interest.

The debate plunged the country into one of its greatest internal crises and deepened the divide between Israelis over the character of their state and the values ​​they believe should guide it.

Monday’s vote on part of the bill was only the first of three sessions required for parliamentary approval. Although the process was expected to take several months, the vote reflected the coalition’s determination to persevere and was seen by many as an act of bad faith.

The Israeli president, a ceremonial figure, urged the government to block the process and seek a compromise with the opposition. Executives in the booming tech sector have warned that a weakening justice system will scare off investors. Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated every week in Tel Aviv and other cities.