Israel's controversial package of judicial reforms, of which a key provision was passed Monday, has sparked one of the largest protest movements in the Jewish state.
Agence France-Presse reviews the debate that has been going on for seven months between the far-right government led by Benjamin Netanyahu and the demonstrators, who warned against the plan on the grounds that it undermines democracy.
At the beginning of January, Israeli Minister of Justice Yariv Levin revealed the proposed reforms aimed at reducing the powers of the Supreme Court, as the government believes that it is left-leaning and politically biased.
The proposed amendments give the Israeli parliament the power to overturn some decisions of the Supreme Courts, thus giving the executive authority a greater role in appointing judges.
Centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid, a former prime minister, warned that the reform package "endangers the entire legal system in Israel."
The protest movement against the reform plan began with its opponents taking to the streets on January 7 in a mass demonstration, which soon turned into a weekly movement.
On January 22, according to media estimates, some 100,000 people turned out against what some opponents described as Netanyahu's attempt to bring about a "judicial coup."
The protest movement spread to both Jerusalem and Haifa.
Insiders in the technology sector, one of Israel's main sectors, have warned that the legislation will alienate investors, especially as it undermines the rule of law.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog tried to mediate between the government and the opposition.
On the first of March, the police intervened in dispersing the protests, using sound bombs, water cannons, and cavalry teams, and prevented the demonstrators from blocking the roads.
Netanyahu accused the demonstrators of crossing a "red line".
US President Joe Biden, whose country is the most prominent ally of the Hebrew state, called on Netanyahu to reach a compromise.
On March 14, the Knesset approved, in its first reading, a clause in the reform package that limits the ability of the Supreme Court to annul laws it deems unconstitutional.
In the same month, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant considered that the clause represents a "clear, imminent and tangible threat to Israel's security" with the expansion of protests that reached the security forces.
Gallant's position conflicted with that of Netanyahu, who punished him by dismissing him from office.
And with the threat of a general strike on March 27, Netanyahu decided to suspend the legislation and give an opportunity for negotiations between the parties.
This step did not prevent the continuation of the protests, as opponents of the reform plan want to cancel it completely.
On June 14, the two main opposition leaders in Israel, Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, withdrew from talks with the government.
Two weeks later, Netanyahu announced the scrapping of the controversial "disembarkation" clause that would have allowed parliament to overturn Supreme Court rulings by a simple majority.
This item is seen as the most controversial of the reforms.
On the tenth of July, the Israeli parliament approved, in its first reading, the "reasonableness" clause, which eliminates the possibility of the judiciary examining the "reasonableness" of government decisions.
Later, more than 1,100 Air Force reservists, including pilots, threatened to stop voluntary service if Parliament approved the item permanently.
On the 23rd of the same month, Biden again urged the Jewish state not to rush to approve the plan, which he described as "divisive."
After returning from a visit to Washington, President Herzog tried to talk with Netanyahu, who was hospitalized to have a pacemaker fitted, to reach a compromise.
On July 24, with renewed protests, the Israeli parliament approved the main item in the reform plan, which will become law.
שתף את דעתך
A timeline of the ongoing crisis in "Israel" for 7 months