Israeli lawmakers on Monday approved a key portion of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's divisive plan to curb the powers of the country's justice system despite massive protests that exposed unprecedented fissures in Israeli society and accused the government of pushing the country toward authoritarian rule.
The Associated PressIsraeli security forces use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators blocking the entrance of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem on Monday.The vote came after a stormy session in which opposition lawmakers chanted "shame" and then stormed out of the chamber.
Netanyahu and his allies say the changes strengthen democracy by limiting the powers of unelected judges and giving elected officials more powers over decision-making. In Israel, which does not have a formal constitution, the judiciary plays a critical oversight role in the country's system of checks and balances.
In Monday's vote, lawmakers approved a measure that prevents judges from striking down government decisions on the basis that they are "unreasonable."After the vote, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the architect of the plan, said parliament had taken the "first step in an important historic process" of overhauling the judiciary.
His sudden hospitalization added another dizzying twist to an already dramatic series of events, which were watched closely in Washington.
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