Esther Hayut, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Israel (center) sits on the bench with justices Uzi Vogelman (left) and Issac Amit (right) during a hearing on a petition against a law that limits removal of a prime minister from office to medical and mental incapacitation, which makes forcing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office over a conflict of interest while on trial for corruption more difficult, in Jerusalem, Aug 3, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

JERUSALEM - Israel's Supreme Court heard petitions against a recently-passed law that protects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from being removed from office on Thursday.

Netanyahu's far-right coalition passed the law in March, changing the conditions under which a prime minister in Israel could be declared unfit for office.

Moreover, only Netanyahu's government or the parliament, in which Netanyahu's coalition also has a majority, now have the authority to remove an incumbent prime minister and only on medical grounds

The law canceled the possibility to remove Netanyahu due to his conflict of interests over his ongoing corruption trial. Moreover, only Netanyahu's government or the parliament, in which Netanyahu's coalition also has a majority, now have the authority to remove an incumbent prime minister and only on medical grounds.

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During the discussion, a few dozen people rallied outside the court protesting against the law.

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Eliad Shraga, leader of the Movement for Quality Government organization that filed one of the petitions, told the three-judge panel that the law is custom-made for Netanyahu and "undermines the rule of law" and encourages corruption.

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The hearing came as Netanyahu's coalition was trying to pass a controversial plan to reshape the Israeli legal system and weaken the Supreme Court, sparking mass demonstrations across the country.