The Israeli parliament, Knesset, ignored nationwide protests to back a key part of a controversial judicial overhaul at first reading Monday.
Lawmakers voted by 63 to 47 to give more weight to the government in the committee that selects judges and to deny courts the right to rule on legislation they deem in conflict with so-called Basic Laws, Israel's quasi-constitution.
Tens of thousands had protested on the streets of Jerusalem Monday against the anticipated vote. Inside parliament, opposition lawmakers disrupted the debate with shouts of "shame," and were temporarily removed.
The bill will now return to the law committee for more debate, ahead of its second and third readings in the plenum before it becomes law.
"From now on, the court will belong to everyone," Justice Minister Yariv Levin said after the bill passed its first reading, calling on members of the opposition to "come and talk."
"We can reach understandings," Levin said.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the coalition of pushing Israel toward civil war, saying if "you care about Israel and its people" then "you'll halt legislation today."
President Isaac Herzog has been trying to bring the sides together for talks on the reform with no success.
The sweeping judicial reform is a cornerstone of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration, an alliance with ultra-Orthodox and extreme-right parties which took office in late December.
Another element of it would give parliament the power to overrule Supreme Court decisions with a simple majority of 61 votes in the 120-member parliament.
The premier presents the overhaul as key to restoring the balance between the branches of government, arguing judges currently have too much power over elected officials.
Critics, who see the reform as a threat to the country's democracy, accuse the government of a power grab, and weekly protests against the legislation since early January have been joined by tens of thousands of people.
Last week, some 100,000 people demonstrated outside the Knesset as a committee granted initial approval to the plan. It was the largest protest in the city in years.
For a second straight week, thousands of people poured into the city from around the country for a mass demonstration against the planned judicial changes. Many waved Israeli flags, blew horns, and held signs reading "saving democracy.”
"All the steps that are going to take place now in the Knesset will change us to a pure dictatorship," said Itan Gur Aryeh, a 74-year-old retiree. "All the power will be with the government, with the head of the government and we'll all be without rights.”
