Israelis took to streets against current government
2023.01.15 00:51
Israelis took to streets against current government
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – On Saturday, tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in three major cities against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans for judicial reform. The organizers of the demonstration said that Netanyahu was undermining democratic rule just weeks after he was elected.
Netanyahu, now in his sixth term, is riding a religious-nationalist coalition with a strong majority in parliament. He wants to control the Supreme Court in what he calls a return to balance between the three branches of government.
The proposed reforms, according to critics, would weaken judicial independence, encourage corruption, undermine minority rights, and deprive Israel’s judicial system of the credibility it needs to defend itself against international allegations of war crimes. The country’s attorney general and the chief justice of the Supreme Court are among those opposed.
The organizers of the demonstrations, which were held under chilly winter rain, sought to strike a note of national unity after President Isaac Herzog appealed to polarized politicians to “lower the temperatures” of the debates.
Benny Gantz, a centrist former defense minister who attended the Tel Aviv rally but was not scheduled to speak, said, “Take an Israeli flag in one hand, an umbrella in the other, and come out to protect democracy and law in the State of Israel.”
A placard carried by one protester read, “We Are Preserving Our Shared Home.” Another claimed that Netanyahu was responsible for a “legal putsch.”
Approximately 80,000 people were present, according to Israeli media, with thousands more attending protests in Jerusalem and Haifa.
In defiance of Netanyahu’s allies on the far right, footage posted to social media showed a few Palestinian flags on display. One of them, Itamar Ben-Gvir of the National Security Ministry, told Kan TV that he wanted these flags taken down but was waiting for the attorney general’s opinion before ordering a police crackdown.
On Friday, the reform plan would be implemented “with careful consideration while hearing all of the positions,” according to the 73-year-old Netanyahu.
Public opinion of the reforms has diverged from polls. Last week, Channel 13 TV found that while 35% of Israelis supported changing the structure of court appointments, 53% of Israelis opposed it. However, on Thursday, Channel 14 TV found 61% support and 35% opposition.
The Supreme Court is criticized for being overly expansive and unrepresentative of the public. The court, according to its proponents, is a tool for settling a tense society.
Tens of thousands of people attended the protests tonight. “Millions of people participated in the election that was held here two and a half months ago,” tweeted Miki Zohar, a senior member of Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party.
“We promised the people change, we promised reforms, and we will make good on that,” the statement reads.
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