World News for Students of English

31-07-2023 07:00

Israel’s parliament recently approved new legislation that curtails some powers of the Supreme Court, despite widespread protests and concerns from the United States.

The amendment removes the Supreme Court’s ability to void executive decisions deemed unreasonable, though they can still rule against the government using other legal grounds. Critics argue that this change could lead to corruption and weaken checks on government power. They fear that government officials may not scrutinize their policies thoroughly enough, potentially causing injustice in the long run.

Many people in Israel fear that this is just the beginning of a larger assault on democracy, as the government had previously proposed an overhaul of the judiciary. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to change the way judges are selected; however, it remains uncertain if there will be a consensus on further changes. Critics are concerned that Netanyahu may use the judicial changes to influence his ongoing corruption trial, but Netanyahu denies that.

Difficult words: curtail (impose a restriction on), scrutinize (examine closely), overhaul (a thorough reorganization), consensus (a general agreement).

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