Prime minister recovering in hospital from pacemaker operation amid street protests over judicial overhaul plan and renewed call from Joe Biden to scrap Monday’s vote
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu remained in hospital on Sunday night to recover from an emergency heart procedure, as tens of thousands of supporters and opponents of his government’s judicial overhaul plan held rival rallies ahead of a key vote.
Netanyahu’s sudden hospitalisation for the implant of a pacemaker added another twist to a legislative plan that has bitterly divided the country. Monday’s vote in parliament is expected to approve the first major piece of legislation in the contentious plan.
The overhaul calls for sweeping changes aimed at curbing the powers of the judiciary, from limiting the supreme court’s ability to challenge parliamentary decisions to changing the way judges are selected.
President Joe Biden on Sunday again called on Netanyahu not to go ahead with Monday’s vote, saying: “Given the range of threats and challenges confronting Israel right now, it doesn’t make sense for Israeli leaders to rush this — the focus should be on pulling people together and finding consensus.”
Israel’s ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, has attempted to broker a compromise between the prime minister and his opponents. Herzog returned on Sunday from a trip to the White House and immediately went to Netanyahu’s hospital room.
“This is a time of emergency,” Herzog said. “We have to reach an agreement.”
Herzog planned meetings later on Sunday with Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, and Benny Gantz, head of National Unity, another opposition party.
Netanyahu and his far-right allies, a collection of ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties, say the changes are needed to curb the powers of unelected judges.
