A powerful Knesset committee passed two main components of the Benjamin Netanyahu government’s controversial judicial overhaul for a first reading on Monday, as tens of thousand of Israelis gathered in Jerusalem to protest the move that could see the Supreme Court undermined.
The Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice committee moved two bills up the chamber in a charged session where members of the divided committee heralded insults at each other. Nine lawmakers voted yes and seven voted no. Shouts of "shame" were heard in the chamber against what's seen as an attempt by the Netanyahu far-right government to undermine Israel's judiciary.