Israeli minister threatens to renew contentious judicial overhaul bid

Raising the spectre of a constitutional crisis, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin threatened to renew a judicial overhaul stalled by war, accusing the High Court of Justice of overstepping its authority by undermining the Knesset's legislative and the government's executive powers in a lengthy Facebook post on Saturday night.

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The post came days after the High Court on Thursday ordered Levin to convene the Judicial Selection Committee by January 16 to appoint a new court president.

Levin's Facebook post called the justices "dictators" and did not indicate whether he would obey the ruling.

"The government acted responsibly and with the outbreak of the war suspended all engagement in reform. The court, with the utmost irresponsibility, decided to take advantage of this to continue to take over the powers of the Knesset and the government. Today, former State Attorney Moshe Lador joined this irresponsibility, calling on soldiers to announce that they will refuse to serve," Levin wrote.