Israeli Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to a legislation that protects the Prime Minister from removal

The court is considering a petition challenging a statute that prevents Prime Minister Netanyahu from being dismissed from office while he is on trial for corruption.

The Supreme Court of Israel has heard a petition challenging a modification to the Basic Law that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his religious-nationalist coalition government passed in March.

Protests against Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption accusations, and his government’s drive to reform the court continue.

The amendment discussed at Thursday’s hearing limits the reasons for removing a prime minister from office to physical or mental incapacity, which benefits Netanyahu, who could have been removed from office for conflict of interest because of his pursuit of judicial changes while on trial.

According to the petitioner, Movement for Quality Government in Israel, this “constituted another transition towards dictatorship” and “set a dangerous new precedent [by which] the person holding the premiership can change constitutional arrangements as convenient given the majority he has.”

The five-hour hearing ended with no ruling from the Supreme Court and an undetermined time period for the case’s conclusion.

According to the Times of Israel, the Supreme Court President, Esther Hayut, stated that it was “clear” that the March bill was designed to favour Netanyahu.

“[Likud] MP Moshe Saada stated two days before the law’s second and third readings that ‘we legislated it because of Netanyahu.” “It doesn’t get any clearer than that,” Hayut explained.

Netanyahu supporters argue the petition is an example of “meddling by unelected judges” in the functioning of a democratically elected government.

“There is a desire here to establish a judicial dictatorship,” Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Kan.

Critics argue that the Supreme Court is the final check on the government and that it is necessary because Israel does not have a codified constitution.