Amid protests at home, Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Germany

Jerusalem: Even as massive protests against his government continue to rock the country, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is all set to embark on an official visit to Germany. “Prime Minister Netanyahu will depart on a diplomatic visit to Berlin where he will meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. This will be their first meeting in their current positions and expresses the special relations between Israel & Germany and their cooperation on a range of issues,” the Israel government announced in a statement on Twitter. “Prime Minister Netanyahu and @bundeskanzler Scholz are expected to discuss various diplomatic and security issues, especially Iran and developments in the region. PM Netanyahu will emphasize the need to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons,” the statement added. “Prime Minister Netanyahu will also meet with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The visit to Berlin will begin with a memorial ceremony for the victims of the Holocaust at Platform 17, with the participation of Prime Minister Netanyahu and German Chancellor Scholz.” Earlier, Israel’s parliament on Tuesday advanced a bill that would let lawmakers pass laws that the Supreme Court cannot overturn — a key piece of legislation in Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies’ proposed judicial overhaul that has divided the country. Netanyahu’s governing coalition of ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties has pressed ahead with its legislative blitz despite calls for compromise and demonstrations that have drawn tens of thousands of Israelis to the streets over the past two months. In an overnight session that stretched into the early morning, the Knesset gave initial approval to several pieces of legislation, including a bill protecting the prime minister from being declared unfit for office, or incapacitated, and another to allow settlements in the northern West Bank. A third piece of legislation that was approved would let parliament pass laws impervious to judicial review, with a simple majority of 61 members in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset. Each of the bills require additional votes before being enshrined into law. The steps were the latest in a series of moves by Netanyahu’s coalition to overhaul Israel’s legal system. The prime minister and his allies say the effort is aimed at reining in an activist court. Critics say the drive would upend the country’s democratic checks and balances, defang the Supreme Court, and concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his parliamentary majority. Business leaders, legal experts and retired military leaders have joined the protests against the judicial overhaul, and Israeli reservists have threatened to stop reporting for duty if the overhaul passes. Netanyahu returned to power in December, following the country’s fifth election in under four years, at the head of Israel’s most ultranationalist and religious government to date. He is currently on trial for fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes, charges he denies. In a late-night vote, the Knesset moved forward a bill that would protect Netanyahu from calls to oust him, replacing current law that opens the door for a leader to be removed under other circumstances. The new bill would require approval by three-quarters of the government, and could be overridden by the prime minister. The measure has personal importance to Netanyahu, who returned to power late last year after Israel’s fifth election in under four years. He is on trial on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes, and denies the allegations. The proceedings have dragged on for nearly three years. Good governance groups and other critics have called on the country’s attorney general to deem Netanyahu unfit for office. Speaking to members of his Likud party on Monday, Netanyahu lashed out at the Israeli media, saying they are broadcasting a “never-ending tsunami of fake news” against him. He reiterated his claim that the legal overhaul will strengthen Israeli democracy. Meanwhile, Opposition lawmaker Orna Barbivai said the bill was “a disgrace, which says the prime minister is above the law.” (With AP inputs) Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.