In a recent development in Israel, the country’s legislature, the Knesset, passed a bill that seeks to limit the powers of the country’s top court – a move that has drawn criticism from the US administration.

Mass protests all over Israel after the first law of the judicial overhaul was passed. Here in Tel Aviv there is no room for the water cannons to try to disperse the protesters who shoot fireworks into the sky pic.twitter.com/RdQjDEK3y7

— Josh Drill (@drill_josh) July 24, 2023

White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre expressed disappointment in a statement, noting that President Joe Biden believes major changes should be decided by consensus.

The judicial overhaul plan, proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government, has sparked widespread protests in Israel and condemnation from legislators in the United States. Despite the opposition, the bill was passed with a slim majority of 64-0 votes.

Heartwarming moment! 🥲

This just happened in Israel, as protesters who are against the judicial overhaul head down the escalator and meet those who are protesting for the judicial overhaul heading up the escalator of a Jerusalem train station.

As Tisha B’Av is upon us, and we… pic.twitter.com/vu3KKNwyxD

— Rabbi Shmuel Reichman (@ReichmanShmuel) July 24, 2023

The Israeli government argues that the changes are necessary to balance power in the country, while critics claim that the bill paves the way for an authoritarian leadership and undermines checks and balances. The legislation limits the Supreme Court's powers to overturn government decisions, which has raised concerns about the erosion of democracy in Israel.

The passing of the bill has strained relations between the US and Israel. President Biden expressed reservations about the proposed overhaul, stating that it seems to be dividing, rather than unifying the country.

The US provides significant aid to Israel annually, making their criticism somewhat unique as it focuses on domestic Israeli policy rather than regional or territorial matters.

Protests against the bill have continued, with thousands of demonstrators expressing their opposition to the legislation. The Histadrut trade union confederation, representing about 800,000 workers in Israel, has threatened a general strike in response to the bill's passage.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called it a "defeat for Israeli democracy." The division surrounding the bill has also reached the Israeli military, with thousands of volunteer reservists vowing not to report for duty if the overhaul efforts continue.

The US administration has pledged to support Israeli President Isaac Herzog and other leaders as they seek to address the issue through political dialogue. However, concerns remain about the potential impact of the judicial overhaul on US-Israel relations.

The Biden administration views this measure as a significant departure from the country's democratic values and hopes for a return to negotiations and consensus-building in Israel.