Tens of thousands in Israel demonstrate again against planned judicial reform

Tens of thousands in Israel demonstrate again against planned judicial reform

Some demonstrators blocked the Ayalon freeway in both directions in Tel Aviv and waved Israeli flags. On Friday evening, several hundred people demonstrated in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea north of Tel Aviv. According to the police, it was an unauthorized rally, and there were at least 17 arrests.

In the face of the massive protests, Netanyahu called for a “pause” in the legislative process for judicial reform at the end of March “to give dialogue a chance” – but so far there has been no breakthrough.

The government’s plan aims to reduce the powers of the judiciary and the Supreme Court and strengthen the position of Parliament and the Prime Minister. With the reform, Parliament could overturn Supreme Court decisions with a simple majority. In addition, politicians have greater influence in the selection of judges.

Netanyahu’s coalition of his Likud party and ultra-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies argues that the reform will bring greater balance between lawmakers and the judiciary. The demonstrators, on the other hand, accuse the government of wanting to weaken the country’s independent judiciary and undermine democracy in Israel.

“We will continue to demonstrate to show them that we remain mobilized even if the reform project is paused,” said 55-year-old dentist Ilit Fayn at the protest rally in Tel Aviv on Saturday.

Farmer Arnon Oschri, 66, said it was “important to rule out the possibility of Israel becoming a dictatorship.” It took 2,000 years for the Jewish people to get their own state “and we mustn’t lose it because of a bunch of fanatics”.

AFP

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