Status: 02/25/2023 10:59 p.m
Tens of thousands of Israelis have been demonstrating every weekend for around two months against the judicial reforms of the right-wing religious government. She wants to weaken the Supreme Court – critics fear the end of Israeli democracy.
Tens of thousands of people have again taken to the streets in Israel against the government’s plans to weaken the judiciary. In a speech in Tel Aviv, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak warned of an impending coup. If the controversial reform progresses, one must switch to non-violent resistance, he demanded at the rally, which took place for the eighth time in a row. People also demonstrated in other cities such as Jerusalem and Haifa.
The right-wing religious government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to curtail the power of the Supreme Court, which it accuses of political influence. In the future, Parliament should be able to overturn the decisions of the top judges with a simple majority and the members of parliament should have more influence on the appointment of the judges. Parliament has already approved both projects with the government majority in the first reading. Other planned changes could also play into Prime Minister Netanyahu’s hands in a corruption trial against him.
Supreme Court particularly important
The demonstrators therefore see the separation of powers in Israel and democracy in danger. The Supreme Court is particularly important in Israel’s political system because the country has no written constitution. Instead, there is a collection of basic laws that the court monitors compliance with.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has rejected media reports that he is said to have called for action to be taken “with the fists” against the demonstrators. Rather, he meant that lying arguments had to be thrown off, he wrote on Twitter.