Tens of thousands of Israelis are protesting their far-right government’s plans to overhaul the legal system, three days after Parliament tabled a bill that would allow lawmakers to overturn a simple-majority Supreme Court decision
Feb 25, 2023 1:19 PM ET
• 2 minutes reading time
TEL AVIV, Israel — Tens of thousands of Israelis protested their far-right government’s plans to overhaul the judicial system on Saturday, three days after Parliament tabled a bill that would allow lawmakers to overturn a simple-majority Supreme Court decision.
The approval of the draft law to “repeal the Supreme Court” in a preliminary vote in the Knesset was the latest move by Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition to bring about judicial reform, which has passed despite calls for dialogue and consensus from American Jews and Israel’s president, as well as the weekly Fair progresses protests.
In addition to weakening the country’s highest court, protesters say the proposed changes threaten Israel’s democratic values and concentrate power in the ruling coalition in parliament. Netanyahu and his ruling coalition believe the court has had unchecked power for years.
For the past eight weeks, the weekly protests have been gaining momentum, with large sections of Israeli society and business joining them. On Saturday, the main protest took place in downtown Tel Aviv along with numerous smaller demonstrations across the country.
The demonstrators held Israeli flags, torches and placards with various messages against judicial reform. “No constitution, no democracy,” read one poster. Some protesters stood behind a banner that read “They Shall Not Pass” and “We Shall Override,” referring to the vote.