Netanyahu Allies Signal Pause in Campaign to Rein In Judges

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition signaled on Tuesday that for the sake of national unity with Israel at war, it was not planning any immediate countermove against a Supreme Court decision striking down the government’s signature campaign to rein in the court’s powers.

Across the Israeli political divide, supporters and opponents of Mr. Netanyahu’s plan stressed the need to avoid domestic upheaval as military forces are trying to eliminate Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Netanyahu’s allies, while critical of the ruling handed down by the court on Monday, notably refrained from announcing any attempts to re-litigate the issue.

The court on Monday struck down a law that Mr. Netanyahu’s coalition passed last year to limit the judiciary’s powers, part of a broader overhaul intended to put more power in the hands of elected lawmakers.

The narrow, 8-7 decision raised the prospect of divisions erupting in the national emergency government Mr. Netanyahu formed after the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack, and a return to the upheaval that began last year when his government pushed to curb the court’s powers, setting off large-scale street protests.