Tens of thousands contest judicial reforms in Israel
Jul 03, 2023
Tel Aviv [Israel], July 3: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets again in Israel on Saturday evening to protest the government's controversial judicial reform.
At the central rally in Tel Aviv, demonstrators chanted "democracy" while waving white and blue national flags.
Several participants also re-purposed the Italian protest song "Bella Ciao" into "Bibi Ciao." "Bibi" is the nickname for the right-wing conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Around 150,000 people took part in the rally in Tel Aviv, said organisers. Scores of demonstrators blockaded the city's streets.
Media reports say thousands also took to the streets in Jerusalem, Haifa and several other cities.
According to Israeli media, however, a law is now to be passed in the next few weeks that will restrict the court's ability to declare government decisions "inappropriate." Observers fear that crucial posts could thus be filled arbitrarily by the government.
Netanyahu tried to appease the public this week.
He had "rejected" a controversial part of the reform, he told the Wall Street Journal, which would have allowed parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions by a simple majority.
Critics, however, do not see this as a turnaround of the reform. In their view, there are also much more contentious points on the government's agenda for reforms.
The next demonstration is already planned for Monday evening in front of Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv. Organisers say air traffic will not be disrupted.
Israel is currently on summer holiday and many families are flying out for the holidays.
Netanyahu's coalition is seeking to deliberately weaken the powers of the country's Supreme Court, which they accuse of excessive interference in politics.
Critics view the move as a danger to Israeli democracy and warn of a national crisis.
Protests against the reforms have been held for months. The government's plans were initially frozen in March after strong criticism in Israel and abroad.
Source: Qatar Tribune
