The United Nations' human rights chief expressed concern about the proposed legislative changes on judiciary, saying that it would drastically undermine the body's ability to ensure the rule of law and human rights.
Israel's parliament is pushing ahead with changes promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious-nationalist government which it says are needed to rein in activist judges who intervene in politics.
The proposals, which have sparked mass protests, could increase the government's sway in choosing judges and set limits on the Supreme Court's ability to strike down legislation.
"Breaking from decades of settled practice, such a law would drastically undermine the ability of the judiciary to vindicate individual rights and to uphold the rule of law as an effective institutional check on executive and legislative power," said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.
His statement added that the changes would create greater political influence over the judicial selection system.
Israel's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahar, has said a previous statement from Turk exhibited prejudice.
Austria's Turk, who became High Commissioner in October, earlier this month called on Israel to ensure respect of international rights law after his office documented a record 151 killings of Palestinians by security forces last year.
The changes would require either a super majority of judges or unanimity for the top court to strike down any legislation.
The proposals "would also allow the Knesset to reinstate, by simple majority, any legislation the Supreme Court struck down, and limit the bases upon which laws could be reviewed," read a statement by the U.N. Human Rights Office.
The current proposals would also change the judicial selection process by altering the composition of the judicial selection committee and changing the appointment process of Supreme Court judges.
While currently independent judges and lawyers comprise the majority of the selection committee, the proposals would move toward much greater political influence over this process.
The proposed changes would allow a simple majority of five out of nine committee members to confirm appointments of Supreme Court judges, rather than the current seven out of nine, further deepening governmental influence in the appointments process, the statement added.
"I am concerned that, if passed, these changes risk weakening human rights protections for all, but especially the most vulnerable communities and groups less able to vindicate their rights through representation in the executive and legislative branches of government," said Turk.
Recent demonstrations by tens of thousands of people against the proposed changes, including in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, "illustrate the extent of public disquiet with the proposed changes," read the statement.
"Changes going to the heart of a country's long-standing constitutional structure, and which affect well-established institutional safeguards, should only be undertaken following extensive consultation and broad political and public consensus," Turk added.
"Given the degree of public and political concern, I call on the government of Israel to pause the proposed legislative changes and open them up for wider debate and reflection," he noted.
On Sunday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides also urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse his controversial judicial reform plans.
