Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has put his controversial reform plans to restructure the judiciary on hold for the time being and wants to reach a compromise with his opponents, but at the same time mobilizes his supporters. There is a threat of deeper division in the country: Tens of thousands of Netanyahu supporters and proponents of the controversial judicial reform took to the streets in Tel Aviv on Thursday, blocking a highway in both directions.
According to Haaretz newspaper, some of them broke through police barriers and clashed with security forces. Some set off fireworks. Several right-wing organizations had called for the protest. According to media reports, calls for violence against journalists circulated in advance. Those should be “finished”, Haaretz quoted from messages that participants would have exchanged beforehand in group chats. In the evenings, local journalists were sometimes prevented from reporting live on the protests with loud chanting, clapping and horns.
“The people are demanding legal reform“
Netanyahu supporters wave flags of his Likud party in the street. Some reportedly chanted slogans such as “The people demand judicial reform,” while others referred to Netanyahu as “King of Israel.” The supporters of the reform also want to counter the mass protests of recent weeks. Tens of thousands in Tel Aviv and other cities protested the government’s course.
As reported, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s right-wing religious coalition wants to use the judicial reform to curtail the influence of the Supreme Court and expand the government’s power. She accuses the Supreme Court of excessive interference in political decisions. In the future, parliament should be able to overturn Supreme Court decisions by a simple majority. Critics see the separation of powers in danger and warn of a state crisis if the reform is implemented in this way.
Source: Krone
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