“Reasonability” law passed. Police massed against protesters storming Knesset

The law revoking the High Court’s power to disqualify decisions by elected authority on the grounds of “unreasonability” was carried on Monday 64 to 0. Opposition lawmakers were absent. Earlier, opposition leader Yair Lapid announced talks on a compromise version to soften the law had broken off. He assured the hundreds of military reservists, who vowed to abstain from voluntary service if the law was carried, that the High Court would overturn the measure as undemocratic. After a four-day march to Jerusalem to head off legislation, tens of thousands of angry protesters held the House to siege after the law was carried. Police forces armed with water hoses massed at the Knesset entrances to keep the demonstrators seeking to storm the building at bay, including mounted officers. They made 19 arrests.