A political firestorm erupted on Monday after Israel Hayom published an internal memo showing the next government plans to dramatically alter the relationship between the branches of government at the expense of the judicial branch.
The memo outlines that new measures Likud and the United Right factions plan to pursue once a coalition is formed and a new government is sworn-in aimed at bolstering the powers of the legislative and executive branches. The steps, if passed, would allow the Knesset to overrule a High Court of Justice ruling in certain cases and automatic legal immunity for MKs. It would also make the government the only agency responsible for appointing senior judges, and strip certain powers from the attorney general.
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The memo, which lists 16 separate measures, has been part of the ongoing coalition talks between Likud and the United Right.
Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg slammed Likud over the memo, accusing it of conspiring to break the law with the United Right. "If the attorney general doesn't stop this, I will turn to the High Court of Justice myself," she said.
Blue and White MK Karin Elharrar joined Zandberg, saying, "This is not just some judicial reform plan, it is a plan to eliminate the High Court of Justice and get rid of our gatekeepers, ending the checks and balances and dealing a fatal blow to Israeli democracy."
Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was a candidate on the United Right list during the recent Knesset election, dismissed the criticism. "In a democracy, the people – not the government officials – decide."
