Tens of thousands contest judicial reforms in Israel
Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets again in Israel to protest the government’s controversial judicial reform.
Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to overhaul the judicial system, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
At the central rally in Tel Aviv, demonstrators chanted “democracy” while waving white and blue national flags.
Several participants also re-purposed the Italian protest song “Bella Ciao” into “Bibi Ciao.” “Bibi” is the nickname for the right-wing conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Around 150,000 people took part in the rally in Tel Aviv, organisers said. Scores of demonstrators blockaded the city’s streets.
Media reports say thousands also took to the streets in Jerusalem, Haifa and several other cities.
According to Israeli media, however, a law is set to be passed in the next few weeks that will restrict the court’s ability to declare government decisions “inappropriate.” Observers fear that crucial posts could thus be filled arbitrarily by the government.
Netanyahu tried to appease the public this week by dropping a controversial part of the reform which would have allowed parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions by a simple majority.
Critics, however, do not see this as a turnaround. In their view, there are also much more contentious points on the government’s agenda for reforms.
Netanyahu’s coalition is seeking to deliberately weaken the powers of the country’s Supreme Court, which they accuse of excessive interference in politics.
Critics view the move as a danger to Israeli democracy and warn of a national crisis.
Protests against the reforms have been held for months. The government’s plans were initially frozen in March after strong criticism in Israel and abroad.
AAP
As most of the reform proposals have been shelved, these weekly parties, and now airport closures are anarchistic in nature, designed to make government of the country impossible leading to administrative collapse. That’s the same tactic used by Mussolini who was “elected” for getting the trains to run on time once more. Today it’s Ehud Barak.