Israel judicial reform: Netanyahu to revive court-reform plan, drop most contentious part

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will abandon the most contentious component of his court-reform plan, which would have allowed the national legislature to overturn Supreme Court rulings, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday. Another contentious provision that would have given the ruling coalition more power to appoint judges would also be amended, Netanyahu told the newspaper in an interview, adding that he was unsure what the new version would look like. “I’m attentive to the public pulse, and to what I think will pass muster,” Netanyahu said. Last week Israeli lawmakers began debating the bill that would limit the Supreme Court’s powers, rebooting a fiercely opposed judicial overhaul instigated by Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition that has sparked mass protests. The changes also stirred Western concern over Israel’s democratic health and spooked investors. Critics see them as an attempt to curb court independence by Netanyahu, who is on trial on graft charges that he denies. In the interview, the three-time prime minister rejected calls to join the West’s efforts to arm Ukraine, saying he also shared concerns with Russia over Moscow’s growing military ties to Iran. On Tuesday, Netanyahu said he had been invited to China and emphasised that the United States remained Israel’s key ally. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.