Israeli Supreme Court hears first challenge to Netanyahu’s divisive judicial overhaul

By ISABEL DEBRE
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s Supreme Court has heard the first challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul. The plan has deepened a showdown with the far-right government, bitterly divided the nation, and put the country on the brink of a constitutional crisis. Netanyahu’s coalition is a collection of ultranationalist and ultrareligious lawmakers. The coalition unveiled the overhaul earlier this year, saying it was necessary to rein in an unelected judiciary it believes wields too much power. Critics argue that, by weakening the Supreme Court, the plan would concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies.