Netanyahu abandons controversial part of judicial reform

(Patria) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has abandoned a central element of fiercely contested judicial reform plans that have roiled Israel for months and no longer wants parliament to have the power to overturn Supreme Court rulings.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Netanyahu said he would proceed with another controversial element that appears to give the ruling coalition more influence over judicial appointments, although that proposal would be revised.

The Israeli prime minister said he has discarded the contested clause that would have allowed a majority of lawmakers to override Supreme Court decisions.

Turning to the proposed method for electing judges, he stated it would not be the immediate, nor the original, structure.

Netanyahu unveiled his plan to reform Israel's judiciary shortly after returning to power at the start of the year, saying the Supreme Court was increasingly encroaching on political areas where it had no authority, Hina reports.

The plan triggered mass protests, opening deep divisions in society between supporters of Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition and large parts of civil society who see the plans as a threat to democracy.