How far will Israel's justice minister go in reviving polarizing judicial overhaul?
Justice Minister Yariv Levin is gearing up for another attempt to legislate the government's controversial judicial overhaul plan suspended after the Oct. 7 attack.
JERUSALEM — The proposed overhaul of Israel’s judicial system that unleashed an unprecedented maelstrom last year and is thought to have emboldened Israel’s enemies appears on the verge of a comeback.
The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had paused its deeply controversial plan to weaken the power of the courts following Hamas' Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. On Aug. 11, the architect of the overhaul, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, signaled that he was down but not out, telling the government that he favored resuming the effort.
"The starting point for the whole issue is the change needed in the Supreme Court," said Levin, addressing the weekly cabinet meeting. His statement was in response to several ministers who had advocated ousting Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, viewed as one of the main gatekeepers challenging the overhaul.
Levin did not specify what measures he would take, and even noted that he intended to seek broad agreement with the political opposition on his future moves, but his statement nonetheless generated public anxiety.
