JERUSALEM, March 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli lawmakers passed on Thursday a law to make it harder to declare Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as unfit to serve, the first in a series of laws comprising the far-right government's controversial judicial overhaul plan.
The bill was passed early in the morning after a heated overnight debate, with 61 members of the 120-seat Knesset (parliament) voting in favor and 47 against. The remaining lawmakers either abstained or were not present for the vote.
It was approved despite warnings from Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who said the law would shield the incumbent Netanyahu from being ousted over his corruption trial.
Under the new controversial law, a prime minister can only be declared unfit and forced to step down if three-quarters of the government's ministers confirm so due to the prime minister's physical or psychological incapacity.
The new legislation is an amendment to a quasi-constitutional "basic law" that provides guidelines for dealing with a prime minister who is unable to perform their duties.
The vote came only hours before Israelis launch another day of nationwide protests against the judicial overhaul.
Since the start of 2023, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets across the country in weekly protests to oppose the government's plan to weaken the Supreme Court and expand the powers of the government over the judiciary.
The crisis has sparked nationwide turmoil, with calls from within the military's elite units to refuse to show up for duty in case the overhaul will be approved, unnerved high-tech investors, and drawn international criticism. ■
