What is causing the upheaval in Israel – Times of India

PM Benjamin Netanyahu‘s right-wing government contends the Supreme Court has unchecked power, but critics of the proposal say it goes too far.
What is the govt trying to do?
The governing coalition says the judiciary has granted itself increased authority over the years. In its proposed judicial changes, the government is first trying to change the makeup of a nine-member committee that selects judges. The proposal would give representatives and appointees of the government an automatic majority on the committee, effectively allowing the government to choose the judges.
The government also wants to curb what it calls the SC’s overreach by drastically restricting its ability to strike down laws that it deems unconstitutional. Critics say the proposed overhaul would place unchecked power in the hands of the government of the day. They also fear that Netanyahu, who is standing trial on corruption charges, could use the changes to extricate himself from his legal troubles.
Why is the country divided?
To its critics, the SC is seen as the last bastion of the secular, centrist elite. Religious Jews, particularly the ultra-Orthodox, perceive the court as an obstacle to their way of life. The court has often opposed certain privileges and financial subsidies for the ultra-Orthodox. In particular, the court rejected a special dispensation that allowed ultra-Orthodox Jews to postpone military service in favour of religious study, infuriating religious leaders. Right-wing Israelis who want to entrench Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank also see the court as an antagonist.
Who is protesting?
Israel’s largest trade union, which had previously tried to stay out of the fray, appeared to be on the verge of calling for a general strike on Monday. The heads of Israel’s leading universities collectively announced they would indefinitely shut their doors to protest the plan, starting Monday.
But perhaps the most consequential opposition to the process has come from military reservists. Reservists say they fear being given illegal military orders if the SC lacks the power to scrutinise government activity adequately. And they fear being charged in international courts if the Israeli justice system is perceived as being too weak to prosecute soldiers. Military leaders have warned that a decline in reservists, who form a key part of the air force pilot corps, might soon affect the military’s operational capacity.
What happens next?
The government had planned a final vote in parliament early this week on the first part of the overhaul, the ability to pick SC judges. But after Sunday’s protests, it is unclear whether Netanyahu will go along with the hard-line members of his coalition and push through a vote. Netanyahu was said to be considering a pause in the programme. Other key elements of the overhaul are on hold until late April.