Constitutional crisis on cards as supreme court justices are asked to consider curbing their own powers

Israel’s supreme court has begun hearing challenges to the first plank of the far-right and ultra-religious government’s wide-ranging changes to the judiciary passed by the Knesset in July: abolishing the court’s power to overrule government decisions.

A full-blown constitutional crisis is now on the cards as the justices weigh in on legislation curbing their own powers, while government ministers have indicated they will not comply with any ruling striking the law down.

Roars and cries from demonstrators as bill passes 64-0 after opposition politicians leave plenum in protest

• Explained: what is the vote about and what happens next?

Israel’s far-right, ultra-religious government has succeeded in passing a key part of the coalition’s judicial overhaul, seven months after introducing the legislation, in the face of widespread, sustained opposition from protesters.

The bill abolishing the “reasonableness” clause that allows Israel’s unelected supreme court to overrule government decisions was passed into law by a final vote of 64-0 in parliament on Monday. Every member of the coalition voted in favour, while opposition lawmakers abandoned the Knesset plenum in protest, shouting “Shame!” as they left.

PM recovering from pacemaker operation amid street protests over judicial overhaul plan and Biden call to scrap vote

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has arrived at parliament for a key vote related to his government’s bitterly contested judicial overhaul, only hours after being discharged from hospital after an emergency heart procedure.

Thousands of demonstrators who marched from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem last week remained camped out outside the Knesset on Monday before two votes on the plenum floor, in which the “reasonableness” clause allowing the supreme court to overrule government decisions is expected to be abolished.