The Israeli Knesset gave final approval on Thursday to an amendment to the law establishing the Judicial Selection Committee, a move the opposition believes further strengthens Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's control over the judiciary.

The Knesset reported on its website that the amendment was approved by a majority of 67 members (out of 120) with one member opposing it.

The official Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that opposition members of parliament withdrew from the session in protest before the vote.

The previous committee comprised the Chief Justice and two of its judges, the Minister of Justice and another government minister, a member of parliament from the ruling coalition and another from the opposition, a representative from the Ministry of Justice, and two representatives from the Bar Association.

The composition will remain the same under the amendment, but with the exclusion of representatives from the Bar Association. The government and opposition will choose two legal experts to replace them.

The new composition of the committee ensures greater government control over the judicial selection process.

This committee is responsible for selecting judges for the court system at all levels: the Supreme Court (including selecting the chief justice and his deputy), the central courts, the conciliation courts, in addition to appointing judges for the traffic courts.

The amended law will take effect after the next general elections scheduled for the end of 2026, unless early elections are held, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent.

Opponents of the amended law view it as "an additional step toward tightening government control over the judiciary, which could undermine the independence of the courts," while the government considers it "a necessary reform to ensure broader representation in the judicial appointment process," according to the broadcaster.

The commission noted that the amendment to the law "comes amid growing tensions between the Bar Association and the government, as the association accuses the ruling coalition of seeking to impose political control over the judiciary."

She added, "The government's legal advisor, Gali Baharav-Miara, expressed her strong opposition to the new amendments."

Mayara considered these amendments to "cast a heavy political shadow over the judiciary, undermining its independence and ability to monitor the executive authority."

The commission added that "the amendment to the law comes within the context of a series of judicial amendments the government is seeking to pass amidst sharp internal divisions and ongoing protests from the opposition and civil society."

The Supreme Court (Israel's highest judicial authority) has frozen Netanyahu's decision to dismiss Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar until April 8, the day on which the justices will consider petitions filed by the opposition against the dismissal.

For days, Israel has witnessed mass demonstrations rejecting Netanyahu's decision to dismiss both the head of the Shin Bet security service and the government's legal advisor. This move, according to the opposition, is part of a broader effort to control all government institutions.

Israelis also protest Netanyahu's endangerment of the lives of prisoners in the Gaza Strip by resuming his genocidal war on the Palestinian enclave on March 18, in response to extremists in his ruling coalition.