ISRAEL: Tel Aviv, Israel’s prominent business hub, witnessed the largest anti-government protest in weeks on Saturday in opposition to fresh efforts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition to reform the justice system.
According to news channels N12 News and Channel 13, tens of thousands of people participated in protests across the nation, with the rally in Tel Aviv drawing significantly larger crowds than recent protests.
The nationwide protests initially started in January, when the government unveiled a plan to reform the judiciary with a legislative package that would curtail some of the Supreme Court’s powers and grant the coalition significant influence in the selection of judges.
Protests eased up in late March as Netanyahu, facing pressure domestically and internationally, temporarily halted the plan for compromise discussions with opposition parties aimed at achieving a comprehensive agreement on justice reforms.
However, deeming the discussions futile last month, Netanyahu recently resumed his government’s efforts to curtail what it perceives as excessive influence by the left-leaning and elitist Supreme Court, albeit with claims that the revised proposals are more moderate.
Next week, parliament is anticipated to conduct the first of three votes on a new bill that aims to restrict certain powers of the Supreme Court to overturn decisions made by the government, ministers, and elected officials.
The opposing faction argues that this action represents yet another perilous stride towards undermining judicial autonomy, potentially leading to the subjugation of the Supreme Court under the influence of politicians and creating opportunities for corruption.
Protest organisers have announced their intention to escalate demonstrations in the coming week.
Sigal Peled-Leviatan, a 51-year-old tech worker participating in the protests in Tel Aviv, stated, “We have no choice; we have to defend our democracy.”
The government’s initiative to revamp the judiciary has fueled fears for Israel’s democratic health and hurt the country’s economy, with the shekel plunging more than 5% since it started.
In a protracted corruption trial where he is arguing his innocence, Netanyahu has made an effort to allay the fears of Western friends and foreign investors by stating that the proposed changes will better segregate the branches of government.
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