Since January, opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been mobilizing tirelessly in the streets in Israel. For the 22nd week in a row, tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered Saturday night in Tel Aviv and other cities across the country to protest the government’s controversial reform bill for the judiciary.
However, the Prime Minister announced on March 27 a “pause” in the judicial project to give a “chance […] dialogue”, but the mobilization against the reform remains strong, as well as the criticism against Benjamin Netanyahu, charged with corruption in a series of cases.
Incidents outside Netanyahu’s private residence
According to Israeli media, some 100,000 protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, a significant figure for the country’s more than 9 million residents. The police do not provide official figures on the demonstrations. The demonstrators, waving Israeli flags, blocked the Ayalon Expressway in both directions.
Friday evening already, several hundred Israelis had gathered in front of the private residence of Benjamin Netanyahu in Caesarea, north of Tel Aviv. The demonstration, described as “unauthorized” by the police, was marred by violent incidents with the police and at least 17 arrests.
“We continue to demonstrate to show them that even if they have paused in the reform we remain mobilized and they will not be able to pass laws on the sly”, explains Ilit Fayn, a 55-year-old dentist, participating in the rally of Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. “It’s very important for us to eliminate the possibility of Israel becoming a dictatorship,” said Arnon Oshri, a 66-year-old farmer.
According to the government, the reform of the judicial system aims, among other things, to rebalance powers by reducing the prerogatives of the Supreme Court, which the executive considers politicized, in favor of Parliament. But its detractors believe that it risks opening the way to an illiberal or authoritarian drift.