Israeli parliament vote deals setback to Netanyahu and judicial overhaul plan

By JOSEF FEDERMAN
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s parliament has appointed an opposition lawmaker to the powerful committee that appoints the country’s judges. Wednesday’s vote exposed divisions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition and raised questions about his control over his political allies. The vote appeared to temporarily avert a crisis that had threatened to unleash renewed political turmoil over Netanyahu’s contentious judicial overhaul plan. The opposition had threatened to withdraw from compromise talks with Netanyahu over the overhaul if its candidate, Karine Elharrar, was not named to the committee. However, with a second vacancy left unfilled after Wednesday’s vote, it said it would freeze the talks until the committee resumes work. There was no immediate response from Netanyahu.