In Israel, President Isaac Herzog declared the country is “in the midst of a national emergency” as lawmakers voted today to pass a highly contested bill that would abolish the power of the Supreme Court to block government decisions it deems unreasonable — the first of several radical judicial reforms set to be voted into law in the coming days. Opposition parties are boycotting today’s vote, which comes after hundreds of thousands of protesters marched in cities across Israel for a 29th consecutive weekend. Hundreds are demonstrating today outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, where police fired water cannons to disperse protesters who blocked roads. Others chained themselves to trees.

Michal: “We were left with no choice but to go to disobedience, nonviolent disobedience, and we are here to protect our democracy with our bodies. And we can only hope that they will listen to our cries. We want equality for all. And this is all we can do.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was discharged from the hospital earlier today after receiving emergency surgery to implant a pacemaker Saturday; he arrived at the Knesset in time for the vote.