Israel’s Netanyahu appears to scale back sweeping judicial reform plans

Netanyahu backs down from sweeping judicial reforms: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for the first time said he won’t be pursuing the full package of judicial reforms that his far-right coalition government had previously sought to push through despite widespread protests. In an interview with Bloomberg, Netanyahu instead said the reforms would only change the makeup of the judge selection committee, abandoning plans to give Israel’s government broader powers over the courts. The concession apparently came as part of a bid by Netanyahu to calm markets and limit damage to the country’s economy as the currency and USD-denominated bonds suffer on the back of the political turmoil.