Israel’s contentious legal overhaul comes to a head as judges hear cases on their own fate

By JULIA FRANKEL
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan has plunged the country into nine months of unrest and exposed bitter divisions within Israeli society. On Tuesday, the country’s gaze shifted from the streets to the courtroom, where a panel of Supreme Court judges were seated to deliberate the very laws meant to rein in their power. Israel’s High Court is hearing the first of three flashpoint cases scheduled in the coming weeks, all dealing with the legality of the overhaul. Although a ruling could be months away, the stakes are high. The decision could set the stage for a constitutional crisis, casting doubt on who holds ultimate legal authority in the country — parliament or the courts.