Thousands of people have once again gathered in Israel to protest against the planned judicial reform: they blocked freeways and stormed the stock exchange. They want to increase the pressure before the next vote in Parliament.
Thousands of people have again taken to the streets in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned judicial reform. Protests were planned across the country for the proclaimed “Day of Disruption”. The organizers had called for this in order to increase the pressure on Parliament. A final vote on an important element of the reform is to be held there before the start of the summer break.
The demonstrators, including many reservists from the armed forces, formed human chains. They blocked highways. According to paramedics, a woman was hit by a car and injured, as reported by the Reuters news agency. According to the AP news agency, the police arrested at least 19 people suspected of causing public unrest during the protests on the highway. The protesters also gathered in front of the military headquarters in Tel Aviv. Participants set off smoke bombs in front of the stock exchange – and dozens briefly stormed the building.
Demonstrators use pipes to form a human chain in front of the main entrance to HaKirya, the Israeli army headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Protesters call on union to go on general strike
There were also protests in front of the headquarters of Israel’s largest trade union, Histadrut. The demonstrators called on the union to go on a general strike. The union had called a strike back in March, which helped Netanyahu temporarily suspend judicial reform. However, after talks about a compromise with the political opposition broke down, he resumed the project.
Critics see the judicial reform as an attempt to undermine the democratic separation of powers. The right-wing religious government’s plans aim to reduce the powers of the judiciary and the Supreme Court and strengthen the powers of parliament and the prime minister. The government, on the other hand, argues that elected representatives of the people must be strengthened against an encroaching judiciary.
The planned law, which is to be passed before the summer break, specifically targets the so-called adequacy clause, which has so far enabled the country’s highest court to rate government decisions as “inappropriate”. The clause was last used when the top court in January banned the appointment of convicted Arieh Deri (Schass party) as Minister of the Interior and Health in the Netanyahu government.