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Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Israel’s main city, Tel Aviv, on March 23 to protest against the controversial reform of the judiciary that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right and right-wing coalition intends to implement. This reform would give the Government greater influence in the selection of judges and would limit the prerogatives of the Supreme Court. Netanyahu said he is determined to move forward with “responsibility” on the reforms.
The political crisis worsens in Israel. In a new day of mobilizations and confrontations, tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated on Thursday, March 23, against the judicial reform presented by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This project to modify the legal system plans to limit the control power of the Supreme Court and politicize the appointment of judges.
In this new day of mobilizations, the police used water cannons to disperse the crowd that had blocked the ring road in Tel Aviv, where a dozen protesters were arrested for “disturbing public order.” The city was the epicenter of the protests this Thursday.
“Ayalon (Tel Aviv’s main urban highway) has never been blocked for so long, (the protesters) managed to close it in both directions, several times, for much longer periods than before,” said Nadav Golander, a 37-year-old protester.
“If the vote on (the composition of the commission in charge of) appointing the judges is approved next week (in Parliament), it will be the beginning of the dictatorship,” he added.
Several thousand people also gathered in Jerusalem outside the prime minister’s residence, according to Israeli media, while other smaller rallies took place in Haifa, in the north of the country, and in Beer Sheva, in the south.
A text branded as undemocratic
The day of protests had been called under the name of “day of national paralysis” by the organizers who have come every week since the presentation by the Minister of Justice, Yariv Levin, of the reform project.
The text has already been adopted at first reading in Parliament while the opposition, which grows every week, denounces a regime change.
Noam Tal Goren, a 22-year-old protester, also expressed concern about Israeli democracy.
“The laws that they are trying to impose, the changes in the judicial system, the changes in the basic laws, this is something that I cannot accept, not in my country, a democratic country,” he told AFP on the sidelines of the Tel protest. Aviv.
Netanyahu and his far-right and right-wing allies believe instead that reform is necessary to restore the balance of power between elected officials and the Supreme Court, which they see as politicized. The prime minister, who spoke on Israeli television on Thursday night, announced that his government would not back down despite the mobilization.
“We cannot allow any dispute to jeopardize our collective future,” Netanyahu said. “I will do everything possible to calm the situation and bring cohesion.” Comments that the opposition hastened to classify as “lies”.
חברת הכנסת המצוינת, נעמה לזימי, יחד עם לפי המפגינæ כבוד גדול. נמשיך להילחם בכל הכוח בממשלה . https://t.co/AEri9t1hYc
— Merav Michaeli מרב מיכאלי (@MeravMichaeli) March 23, 2023
But the rejection of this reform project is not only felt in Israel. The country’s partners abroad are also issuing warnings to the Israeli prime minister. Every time he travels, he must now face requests from his partners in the European Union and the United States who try to persuade him to modify major proposed changes.
Israeli Finance Ministry officials have also warned that the country’s rating could be lowered in international markets if the laws are passed as written.
Parliament protects Netanyahu from possible impeachment
But it seems that the ruling coalition in Israel is turning a deaf ear. In the early hours of this Thursday, the Knesset approved by 61 votes in favor and 47 against the first provision of its reform. Although this text is not at the center of the protests, it further crystallizes the political tensions in the country because it makes it almost impossible to remove the head of the Government, Netanyahu, tried for corruption and breach of trust.
From now on, the prime minister can only be removed from power by his own decision or by three-quarters of the ministers. In case of disagreement, Parliament must decide by a large majority.
The text has outraged the opposition. Its leader, former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, denounced the law as “obscene and corrupt.” For his part, Avigdor Lieberman, a former ally of Netanyahu, promised to challenge the text before the Supreme Court.
In February, the office of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has become a leading figure in the opposition to judicial reform, had already warned against the proposed law approved on Thursday.
“We believe that the combination of the elements of this text could lead to absurd situations, in which a prime minister would continue to exercise this function, even if he is not in a position to do so,” added Assistant Attorney General Gil Limón.
With AFP and Reuters
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