Thousands protest again against Netanyahu’s judicial reform

TThousands of people have once again protested in Israel against the controversial judicial reform of the right-wing religious government. In central Tel Aviv, for the eleventh straight Saturday, demonstrators took to the streets with Israeli flags and protest signs. Among other things, it read: “No to the dictatorship” or “Israel is not yet Iran”. Rallies were also planned in cities such as Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba.

For more than two months, thousands of people have taken to the streets in Israel against the comprehensive legislative proposal. Among other things, Parliament should be able to overrule decisions of the Supreme Court with a simple majority. In addition, politicians should have more influence in the appointment of judges. The coalition wants to push through key elements of the controversial reform in fast-track procedures by the end of the month. Critics see the separation of powers as a pillar of democracy in danger and warn of a dangerous state crisis.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately rejected a compromise proposal presented by Israeli President Izchak Herzog on Wednesday. It is unbalanced and only cements the current state. The opposition backed the proposal. “It’s not perfect, but it’s a fair compromise that allows us to live here together,” said opposition leader Jair Lapid. In a civil war there are only losers. Herzog emphasized that the proposal was intended as a basis for talks.

On the road with an Israeli number plate

The protest movement is one of the largest in Israel’s history and encompasses broad sections of society. There is also increasing resistance from the army. Hundreds of elite officers from the military reserve, for example, announced that they would no longer report for duty from Sunday.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinians attacked a car carrying two tourists with stones. According to unconfirmed reports, these were German vacationers. As several Israeli media reported on Saturday, the two were traveling in a car sharing car with Israeli license plates. A spokeswoman for the military said the victims suffered minor injuries and were given medical attention by Israeli soldiers after the incident. They were then handed over to the police.

The army and police initially did not comment on the origin of the tourists. There was also no official confirmation from the German embassy in the evening. Ambassador Steffen Seibert wrote on Twitter about the reports: “A mob that attacks tourists because they don’t like their license plate is disgusting and cowardly”. He thanked the Palestinian-Israeli citizen who rescued her “from the bottom of my heart”. According to the reports, the man is said to have helped the two tourists leave the city.

A video shared on social media showed how around two dozen men and young people threw stones at a car on a busy road and initially violently prevented it from continuing in the slow-moving traffic. Additional footage shows that the Tel Aviv city logo and a sticker with an Israeli flag were affixed to the car. The authenticity of the video could not initially be independently confirmed.

Nablus is one of the autonomous Palestinian territories. Israelis are strictly forbidden to enter the country. Foreign tourists can visit the city. However, the Foreign Office “strongly advises against” traveling to the region around Nablus. The security situation in Israel and the Palestinian territories has been particularly tense for months. Further violence is feared during the Muslim month of fasting, Ramadan, which begins next week.