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The protests have been described as the largest in the history of the country,
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets across the country over the weekend in what has been called the largest protests in Israel’s history.
The demonstrations are against government plans to limit the powers of the Supreme Court, which critics say undermine judicial independence and threaten democracy.
Defending his plans, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that the reforms will restore the balance between the branches of government.
The issue has caused deep divisions in Israeli society and as opposition leader Yair Lapid described it, this is the “greatest crisis” Israel has faced in its history.
The protests have been going on for 10 weeks and have been intensifying as the reforms move towards ratification.
On Saturday, organizers said up to 500,000 protesters took to the country’s streets, in what the Haaretz newspaper called “the largest demonstration in the country’s history.”
In Tel Aviv alone, about 200,000 people were said to have protested on Saturday and in the northern city of Haifa, there were reportedly 50,000 protesters.
“Piedra angular”
As Yolande Knell, the BBC’s Jerusalem correspondent, explains, “Changes in the justice system are the cornerstone of the policy of the new coalition nationalist-religious of Israel led by Netanyahu” that was formed in December.
“The objective of the reforms is to give the government decisive influence over the choice of judges and limit the ability of the Supreme Court to rule against the Executive or annul legislation,” it adds.
Under the proposals, politicians would play a dominant role in the selection of judges and would allow the Knesset annul the Supreme Court rulings with a simple majority and remove some laws from judicial review altogether.
Critics say this jeopardizes the political system of checks and balances, as Israel has no constitution and only a parliamentary house controlled by the ruling coalition.
image source, Archyde.com
At the center of this fight is Benjamin Netanyahu, who has dominated the country’s politics in the last two decades.
Despite facing trial on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, which he denies, he was re-elected in November 2022 after 18 months in opposition.
This is his sixth term as prime minister and he now has a majority in the Knesset (parliament). heading a coalition government of religious and far-right parties.
Since the government presented judicial reform plans in January, tens of thousands of people have participated in weekly mass demonstrations against the new legislation., which is currently being discussed in the Knesset.
Polls show the government plan is unpopular and most Israelis would prefer to compromise.
President Isaac Herzog, who plays mainly a protocol role, has been pushing for a dialogue between the government and the opposition, warning that the country is on the verge of of “constitutional and social collapse”.
Many of Israel’s foreign allies have also expressed concern about the new legislation.
“Slow down a bit, maybe bring people together, try to build a consensus,” US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides said in early March.
The government, which has branded the protesters “anarchists”, has stood firm against the protests, alleging that they they are being fed by political opponents.
deep divisions
The issue is causing deep divisions in Israeli society and even reservists, the backbone of Israel’s army, have threatened to refuse their military service as a way of showing their opposition.
image source, Archyde.com
The government has branded the protesters “anarchists.”
Last Monday, in an unprecedented move, dozens of reserve fighter pilots in an elite squadron of the Israeli Air Force said they would not report for training.
They later changed positions and agreed to attend and have talks with their commanders.
“It’s completely unusual,” a reserve officer told the BBC. “We tend to remain impartial in these matters, but it is not a routine political debate. It is a dramatic change. We are concerned that our crucial principles of democracy will be utterly ruined.”
Tech industry workers, lawyers and bankers have also expressed alarm over the potential impact of the reforms, including on the economy.
Netanyahu expects the bills to pass before this Knesset session ends on April 4.
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