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Israel passes first law weakening Supreme Court following months of civil strife
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s government has passed a law restricting the Supreme Court’s ability to strike down laws, the first piece of a proposed overhaul of the country’s judiciary that has led to massive street protests and a growing movement of civil disobedience.
The vote, which was boycotted by the opposition in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, is a landmark moment in a conflict that has consumed Israel since the beginning of the year and drawn the attention and criticism of world leaders and a range of Diaspora Jewish organizations. It is the first measure of the right-wing government’s proposed judicial overhaul — which has aimed to sap the power and independence of the Supreme Court — to be enacted into law.
That proposed package of legislation has drawn hundreds of thousands of Israelis to weekly street protests, and has led more than 10,000 veterans to pledge to boycott their reserve duty. Proponents of the overhaul say it will curb an overly activist Supreme Court. Its critics say that weakening Israel’s judicial system will endanger its standing as a democracy and will put minority rights at risk.
Among the opponents of the overhaul is President Joe Biden, who has suggested that its passage could damage the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Read: ‘A time of emergency’: What you need to know about the fight over Israel’s court system
The law that was passed Monday bars the Supreme Court from striking down government decisions it deems unreasonable. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doubled down on passing the law despite the growing protest.
“This is an extraordinary moment,” Justice Minister Yariv Levin, one of the architects of the overhaul, said in a speech following the law’s passage. “We have taken s first step in the historic, important process of fixing the judicial system and returning the authority that has been taken from the government and the Knesset over the course of long years.”
As the law was being voted on, thousands of protesters converged on the Knesset grounds, with some pitching tents in a nearby park. Netanyahu’s opponents in parliament vowed to keep fighting despite the legislative defeat Monday.
“Believe in yourselves,” Yair Lapid, the centrist leader of the opposition, wrote on Twitter to protesters. “Believe in your clear and strong voice. Believe that the future belongs to whoever never gives up.”
Reaction among American Jewish organizations was swift. The centrist American Jewish Committee expressed “profound disappointment” over the passage of the legislation, saying in a statement that it was “gravely concerned about the long-term impact of continued unilateral efforts” to change Israel’s judicial system.
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The post Israel passes first law weakening Supreme Court following months of civil strife appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Putin Speaks to Trump, Condemns Israel’s Strikes on Iran, Kremlin Says
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian meet in Moscow, Russia, Jan. 17, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to US President Donald Trump for 50 minutes on Saturday, condemning the Israeli military operation against Iran and expressing concern about the risks of escalation, the Kremlin said.
“Vladimir Putin condemned Israel’s military operation against Iran and expressed serious concern about a possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the Middle East,” Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
Trump, for his part, described events in the Middle East as “very alarming,” according to Ushakov. But the two leaders said they do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on Iran’s nuclear program, Ushakov said.
On Ukraine, Putin told the US leader that Russia was ready to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians after June 22, according to state news agency RIA.
Trump reiterated his interest in a speedy resolution to the conflict, the Kremlin aide said.
Putin also congratulated Trump on his 79th birthday.
The post Putin Speaks to Trump, Condemns Israel’s Strikes on Iran, Kremlin Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Sunday’s US-Iran Nuclear Talks Cancelled, Oman Says
FILE PHOTO: Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi attends a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2023. Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
The latest round of US-Iran nuclear talks scheduled for Sunday in Muscat will not take place, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X on Saturday. Oman has been mediating the talks.
Albusaidi’s statement came a day after Israel launched a sweeping air offensive against Iran, killing commanders and scientists and bombing nuclear sites in a stated bid to stop it building an atomic weapon.
A senior official of US President Donald Trump’s administration, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed Sunday’s talks had been cancelled.
Washington, however, remained committed to the negotiations and hoped “the Iranians will come to the table soon,” the official said.
The post Sunday’s US-Iran Nuclear Talks Cancelled, Oman Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran Says Talks with US ‘Meaningless’ After Israel Attack, But Yet to Decide on Attending
USA and Iranian flags are seen in this illustration taken, Sept. 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
Iran said the dialogue with the US over Tehran’s nuclear program is “meaningless” after Israel’s biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy, but said it is yet to decide on whether to attend planned talks on Sunday.
“The other side (the US) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran’s territory,” state media on Saturday quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
“It is still unclear what decision we will make on Sunday in this regard,” Baghaei was quoted as saying.
He said Israel “succeeded in influencing” the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington’s permission, accusing Washington of supporting the attack.
Iran earlier accused the US of being complicit in Israel’s attacks, but Washington denied the allegation and told Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would be “wise” to negotiate over its nuclear program.
The sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks was set to be held on Sunday in Muscat, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead after the Israeli strikes.
Iran denies that its uranium enrichment program is for anything other than civilian purposes, rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons.
US President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord.
The post Iran Says Talks with US ‘Meaningless’ After Israel Attack, But Yet to Decide on Attending first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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