Yair Golan's Democrats push to repeal Netanyahu's judicial reform attempts in new Knesset committee

NOVEMBER 15, 2026 12:27The Democrats party, led by Yair Golan, announced on Sunday that a representative from its party will head a special Knesset committee tasked with advancing legislation to repeal key components of the judicial overhaul passed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's outgoing coalition.The committee is set to be established this week and begin leading efforts to repeal the bill that was passed to significantly weaken the role of the attorney-general, as well as the bill that dramatically amended the Judicial Selection Committee responsible for electing Israel’s judges, by increasing political involvement in judicial appointments.The bills were passed during the previous Knesset amid the government’s ongoing rift with the judiciary and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara.The Democrats stated that the legislation had received an exemption from the standard 45-day waiting period required after a private member’s bill is tabled, allowing the legislative process to be expedited.The appointment of a Democrats representative to head the committee was made as part of an agreement with the Yashar party, led by MK Gadi Eisenkot, the Democrats stated.The Knesset plenum is seen during the inaugural session of the 26th Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 10, 2026 (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)Once the bill is brought to the plenum for a preliminary reading following deliberations in the Knesset committee, it will require three additional readings to pass.Golan said the appointment of a Democrats MK to head the special committee would mark “the beginning of the process of repair.”“We, the Democrats, will repeal the judicial overhaul and strengthen democracy, so that what happened here over the past four years never happens again."“We will restore the independence of the judicial system, protect a free media, and ensure that no government can dismantle the country's institutions to serve its own interests,” Golan added.Eisenkot-led bloc members appointed to key Knesset committeesThe appointment of a Democrat representative to head the special Knesset panel comes after the bloc seeking to replace Netanyahu secured key appointments to additional Knesset committees on Wednesday.The newly appointed Knesset Arrangements Committee voted to approve the appointments of Yisrael Beytenu chairman MK Avigdor Liberman as temporary chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee (FADC), and B’Yachad MK Liran Avisar Ben-Horin as chairwoman of the Finance Committee.The FADC oversees national-security matters, military budgets, and legislation related to IDF conscription.The final votes in the FADC and Finance Committee to appoint Liberman and Ben-Horin, respectively, are set to take place on Monday.Yashar MK Roy Folkman was also appointed chairman of the influential Arrangements Committee.Folkman began chairing the Arrangements Committee on Wednesday. The committee organizes the Knesset’s work at the start of a new parliamentary term and determines the composition of the key committees that oversee legislation.The new committee appointments come as the Eisenkot-led bloc has been working to replace Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, with a vote expected to take place on Tuesday.Ousting Ohana, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud, would give the opposition bloc greater control over the Knesset’s legislative agenda before a government is formed.Eisenkot-led bloc able to secure majority when including Arab partiesLast week, the first Knesset plenum vote since the swearing-in of the 26th Knesset demonstrated the Eisenkot-led bloc’s ability to secure a parliamentary majority following the October 27 election.The election results showed that Eisenkot's bloc received 67 seats, including 19 from the Arab parties, while Netanyahu’s bloc won 53.No government has been formed yet, however, as some party leaders have drawn a red line against partnering with the Arab parties. Nevertheless, their support could still allow the bloc to pass key legislation even while Netanyahu heads a caretaker government.Party leaders in the Eisenkot-led bloc have recently opened the door to coalition negotiations with the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties after previously drawing a line at partnering with them, offering an alternative path to forming a government amid the political deadlock.Eisenkot was granted the mandate by the president last week and was tasked with forming the next government, giving him a total of 28 days to do so, with the ability to request a 14-day extension.Follow us on Google