Earlier on Monday, in the central Israeli city of Modi’in, hundreds of rowdy protesters, honking horns and chanting slogans through megaphones, converged on the home of the overhaul’s architect, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin. Israeli police said they had arrested six people on charges of disrupting public order and blocking roads. A few hours later, Levin emerged from his surrounded home in a sleek black car, surrounded by police officers and security guards who tried to clear a path for him through the swarm of protesters.
Supporters of Netanyahu’s far-right, ultra-Orthodox government say the law will prevent liberal, unelected judges from interfering in the decisions of elected lawmakers. He also says that the court should not be able to rule on legislation that limits its authority.
Critics of the overhaul call it a blow to democracy, arguing that Israel’s judiciary represents the primary check on the powers of the prime minister and his majority coalition in parliament. They also say that the Prime Minister is trying to change the legal system at a time when he is being prosecuted on corruption charges and has a conflict of interest.