Tel Aviv: Renowned US attorney Alan Dershowitz, who has consistently supported Israel's foreign policy decisions, announced on Sunday that he is unable to support the sweeping judicial reforms that Israel's new government is planning.
The proposals call for a reform that limits the authority of the judiciary, including enabling lawmakers to make laws that have been overturned by the Supreme Court. Among other things, the reforms would increase political control over the selection of judges and restrict the independence of government legal advisers.
The current coalition government, led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and composed of conservative ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties, seeks to advance its agenda through reduced judicial oversight, made possible in large part by legal reforms.
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Dershowitz claimed that the change threatened Israel's minority and civil rights. Dershowitz said of Saturday's protest against the reforms in Tel Aviv, which attracted thousands, "If I were in Israel, I would join the protests."
He said that it would be very challenging for people like me to effectively defend Israel in the international court of public opinion. "It would be sad to see the Supreme Court weakened."
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It was unexpected to hear Dershowitz, a close ally of Netanyahu and author of several best-selling books supporting Israel's policies, speak out so strongly against the reforms. Dershowitz claimed to have recently spoken with Netanyahu about his "very strong, negative views" on the reforms, adding that they would also make Israel vulnerable to legal challenges from international organizations such as the International Criminal Court.
The reforms could enable Netanyahu, who is facing a corruption trial, to avoid punishment or have his case dismissed altogether. Dershowitz said he thought Netanyahu accepted the reforms to please his new coalition partners rather than to avoid being found guilty.
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According to critics, the plan would dismantle Israel's system of checks and balances and undermine its democratic institutions by giving absolute power to the most right-wing coalition in the nation's history.
The government claims that the plan strikes an ideal balance between the executive and judicial branches, while streamlining governance and legislation.