Among a raft of far-reaching proposals from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are plans to allow a simple majority of 61 in the 120 seat Knesset to override almost all supreme court rulings, and allow politicians to appoint most of the justices to the bench.
The changes are not led by the prime minister but by his Likud colleague Yariv Levin, the justice minister, and by the Religious Zionist MK Simcha Rothman, who chairs the Knesset's law and justice committee.
Both men have a longstanding hatred of Israel's supreme court, which they see as too powerful and biased against the settler movement, Israel's ultra-religious community and the Mizrahi population, Jewish people of Middle Eastern origin. Many Israelis have never forgiven the court for its decision to withdraw from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
It is not lost on anyone that the measures could help Netanyahu evade prosecution in his corruption trial. He denies all charges.
Netanyahu's trial caused a political crisis in Israel for four years in which Israel was divided over whether he was fit to lead the country. After five elections since 2019, in which politicians on both sides failed to form stable governments a bloc of rightwing and religious parties headed by Netanyahu s Likud won a clear majority in November and went on to form the most rightwing administration in Israeli history.
A full annexation of the occupied West Bank, a rollback of pro-LGBTQ legislation, axing laws protecting women and minority rights and a loosening of the rules of engagement for Israeli police and soldiers are all on the agenda of the coalition.
What do critics of the measures say?
Israel's supreme court plays an outsized checks- and- balances role as the country does not have a formal constitution or second legislative chamber.
The proposals have caused the biggest protest movement in Israel history, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets in various cities, demonstrations outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, and several days of disruption in which protesters have blocked highways and Tel Aviv airport. A number of the protests have turned violent.
Military reservists and Israel's vitally important tech sector are putting pressure on the movement, despite the fact that the movement is largely leaderless. Many of Israel's allies have expressed alarm over the direction in which the country is heading.
Attempts at compromise brokered by the president, Isaac Herzog, have been shot down by the government as not workable. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu would be willing to cut a deal, but the prime minister appears to be a hostage to his far-right partners who could bring down the government if their demands are not met. Netanyahu could try to form a coalition with opposition parties, but most people are wary of trusting him.
If the plans for the judiciary go ahead in their current form, Israel is likely to face an unprecedented constitutional crisis in which the supreme court could strike down all or parts of the legislation designed to curb its powers, and the government could choose not to comply. Herzog has warned of civil war in public.
The possibility of a more hostile Israeli government has added to the fears of a return to full-blown conflict for Palestinians, while Iran and other enemies are closely following what they see as internal weakness.
The coalition is racing through committee hearings and votes in the Knesset plenum to try to pass the legislation before the Passover holiday begins on April 2nd.