Protests erupted across Israel after its parliament passed a bill to weaken the country’s Supreme Court. The new amendment is a part of the Prime Minister’s plan to carry out a “judicial overhaul” of the Israeli government.
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00:00Protests rocked Israel following Parliament's decision to approve a bill that will weaken the
00:04country's Supreme Court. The new amendment was proposed by the country's Prime Minister
00:08and restricts Israel's Supreme Court's powers to block government decisions if considered
00:14unreasonable. It passed in Parliament by a vote of 64 to 0. Those who supported the bill voted
00:19unanimously to pass it, while those against the new measures walked out of the voting chamber
00:24as a sign of protest. In response, demonstrations spread across the country, with many taking
00:29place in the country's capital of Tel Aviv. Supporters of the new amendment believe the
00:33judicial overhaul will help create more balance between branches of the Israeli government
00:39and will limit the influence of judges in the country. Those who oppose say the changes will
00:43give too much control to the executive branch and could lead to abuses of power. The proposed
00:48changes have fueled massive alarm rust in the country since they were first announced in
00:52January. Thousands of military members who oppose the amendments have vowed to not volunteer for
00:57duty if the government moves forward with the judicial overhaul. The Israel Medical Association,
01:03which claims to represent 95 percent of the country's doctors, also plans to go on strike
01:08following Parliament's approval of the bill. The country's main labor union also made plans
01:12to meet and discuss declaring a general strike in response to the decision. The judicial overhaul
01:17proposed by the Israeli government has received harsh criticism from the White House, which has
01:22repeatedly warned the country against proceeding forward with the plan.