The leaders of the Brothers and Sisters in Arms, a prominent protest group against the government’s justice reform efforts, said they never imagined they would be in a situation where they would be organizing weekly mass protests against the government and fighting for Israel’s future , even though there is a threat “from within.”
Speaking to CBS’s “60 Minutes” in a report filmed in July and aired Sunday evening as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embarked on a long-awaited trip to the United States, the protest leaders said Netanyahu’s hardline coalition and its attempt to restore justice to reform and curb the powers of the Supreme Court are “an existential threat to Israel.”
“When a regime, a government, wants to gain unlimited power, people are afraid. And people in the streets today are afraid that the government will gain unlimited power without judicial review,” said Ron Scherf, who like many others in the group served or is currently serving in the military.
As commander of the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, Scherf said he and others have defended Israel against many external threats over the years, but “now the danger comes from within” and is “much more serious” than any external enemies.
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“This is an existential threat to Israel,” Scherf said. He added that he never imagined protesting in this way, “not even nine months ago, not even three months ago, and the situation is deteriorating so quickly that we could hardly believe it.”
Omri Ronen, another protest leader from the group Brothers and Sisters in Arms and a former officer in an elite commando unit, said Israel’s Supreme Court was “our last line of defense.” And that is our last protection. We need them strengthened. We need them independent. That’s what we’re fighting for.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara prepare to board a plane to the United States early September 18, 2023. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)
“What happened in Hungary and Poland will not happen here,” promised Ronen, referring to the illiberal democracies of these countries.
Shira Eting, a former helicopter gunship pilot, told “60 Minutes” that “every democracy that turned into a dictatorship was elected in a democratic way. That’s how democracies become dictatorships.”
“It’s not like you wake up one day and say, ‘Okay, now we’re a dictatorship.’ Small, small things will change the face of Israel. You know, people tend to say, “Wow, something like that can happen in my country?” No, no. It’s just these guys screaming.’ But it happens,” Scherf said
Ronen said the protesters “weren’t kidding” and “really tried to stop.” [this] and we will succeed.”
Netanyahu’s hardline government has now faced 37 consecutive weeks of mass protests against judicial reform and fierce resistance from many parts of society. Warnings from allies, including the US, were also largely ignored.
The government has repeatedly attacked the unprecedented protest movement – including military reservists, pilots, academics, lawyers and business and technology leaders. The latest broadside came from Netanyahu, who accused the protesters of “aligning with the PLO and Iran.” in their activities, which he described as anti-Israel.
Before boarding his flight to the United States early Monday, Netanyahu told reporters: “Whoever is organizing the protests is doing it with a lot of money and financially supported demonstrations.” They have made sure that blocking roads is a normal thing , this refusal [to serve in the military and in the reserves] is a normal thing, and they defame Israel in front of the world.”
Netanyahu was greeted at the airport by hundreds of demonstrators. Thousands of people gathered across the country on Sunday evening to protest against the coalition.
Anti-overhaul demonstrators protest at Ben Gurion Airport, September 17, 2023 (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
In the 13-minute segment, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, the chief architect of judicial reform, dismissed the concerns and fears of opponents of judicial reform as “unfounded.”
“No democracy can accept a situation in which the government, the elected government, which has the majority in Parliament, is unable to pass a bill and does nothing because there are protests, because there are some people who are against it,” Levin told “60 Minutes.”
The justice minister defended the hardline coalition’s attempt to reshape the judiciary and limit its independent powers, arguing: “The situation in Israel is that the Supreme Court is above the government, above the parliament and even above the will of the people “What I want to do is balance it.”
“The justice system is completely controlled by a group, an elite group … where more than half of the Israeli population feels that the justice system is something that is almost directed against them,” he added.
Proponents of the reform have argued that appropriate legislation is needed to limit the powers of a judiciary that they say is unrestrained and overly active.
Critics of the coalition’s plans say the legislative package will fundamentally change Israel’s democratic system by stripping the judiciary of its ability to act as a check on the ruling coalition.
Last week the Supreme Court held a high-stakes hearing on petitions challenging the first and so far only major judicial reform law passed by the government – the Appropriateness Act, which bans courts from overturning cabinet and ministerial decisions on the basis that they are “unreasonable”.
Supreme Court President Esther Hayut and all 14 other judges hear petitions against the “adequacy law” at the Jerusalem court on September 12, 2023. (DEBBIE HILL / POOL / AFP)
An unprecedented panel of all 15 judges presided over the highly charged session and will announce their decision at a later date.
With Netanyahu on a trip to the United States this week without an invitation from the White House that isn’t quite as significant as he had hoped, protesters have vowed to follow and persecute the prime minister as he sets out A series of meetings with world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, including a highly anticipated meeting with US President Joe Biden.
“The defendant is traveling again to tell stories at the United Nations and Kaplan Force will be there too!” protest group Kaplan Force said in a statement, referring to the prime minister’s corruption trial. “Next week the UN General Assembly will be held in New York and the protest is being organized to remind the world that Israel will not be a dictatorship.”
Expat activists have proven to be a persistent thorn in the side of ministers and Knesset members during visits to New York and other U.S. cities. They use a network of sympathizers to persecute lawmakers wherever they appear, ensuring that they do not find a safe haven abroad from the political discord at home.
Luke Tress and Lazar Berman contributed to this report.