Status: 01/21/2023 9:30 p.m
Tens of thousands of people protested against the planned judicial reform in Israel – 100,000 in Tel Aviv alone. They fear that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government wants to weaken the judiciary and undermine democracy.
Around 100,000 people protested in Tel Aviv against the new government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to police reports. Demonstrators gathered at several locations in the center of the Israeli coastal city.
“Protest in defense of the country”
Posters read: “Stop the end of democracy”, “Our children will not live in a dictatorship” or “Israel, we have a problem”. The demonstrators also carried pictures of Netanyahu with the words “criminals” written on them. Ex-Prime Minister Jair Lapid also attended the rally. “This is a protest in defense of the country,” he said. “People came here today to protect democracy.”
It was the largest demonstration to date against the new government, which was sworn in at the end of December. According to media reports, around 1,000 police officers were on duty. Thousands of people also took to the streets in Jerusalem, Haifa and Be’er Sheva. Netanyahu has described the protests, which have been going on for weeks, as a refusal by left-wing opponents to recognize the results of the November 2022 election.
Criticism of judicial reform
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the most right-wing government in Israel’s history last Saturday. Netanyahu governs in a coalition with ultra-Orthodox and extreme nationalists. The protest was primarily directed against the government’s intention to specifically weaken the country’s judicial system.
According to the plans of Justice Minister Jariv Levin, for example, a majority in parliament should be able to pass a law even if the Supreme Court considers it to be in violation of the Basic Law. Levin also wants to change the composition of the panel that appoints judges. The far-reaching changes could also play into Netanyahu’s hands in his ongoing corruption trial.
Opponents of the project accuse the head of government of endangering the democratic control of the ministers by the courts. Therefore, the future of Israeli democracy is at stake.
Judgment against Deri creates further tensions
This week’s protests were fueled by a far-reaching ruling by the Supreme Court. The judges ruled on Wednesday that Israel’s interior and health minister, Arie Deri, should not remain in office. The judges justified their judgment with the repeated conviction of Deri. They also stated that last year in a court case for tax offenses he assured that he would withdraw from politics. The new coalition had specifically amended a law so that Deri could become a minister despite his conviction.
The chairman of the strictly religious Schas party is considered a close confidant of Netanyahu. The re-elected Prime Minister has not yet officially commented on the verdict. It is unclear whether he will oppose this or Deri will be released.
Advocates of the planned judicial reform feel vindicated by the judgment against Deri. Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party has long accused the Supreme Court of being dominated by left-leaning judges who, for political reasons, meddle in areas beyond their jurisdiction.