The new Israeli government around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (73) has only been in office for two weeks and is already falling apart.
On Saturday, more than 80,000 protesters took to the streets in Tel Aviv to express their displeasure at Justice Minister Jariv Levin, 53,’s plans to reform the judiciary.
Far-reaching changes in the legal system
The rally in Tel Aviv started in the pouring rain in the city center in the square in front of the Habima National Theater. The demonstrators then roamed the streets waving blue and white Israeli flags. “Democracy,” they chanted over and over. “The state is not your toy,” one poster read.
It was the largest demonstration yet against the new government, which was sworn in at the end of December. Protests also took place in Haifa and Jerusalem.
The reform envisages sweeping changes in the Israeli legal system. Should the law come into effect, a simple majority of 61 MPs could pass a law in the future, even if the Supreme Court rules that it violates Israel’s constitution and can therefore be declared invalid by the Supreme Court.
«Death blow» against the independence of the judges
Unlike many other democracies, Israel does not have a constitution. The Basic Law fulfills this function. It is for the highest courts to examine the compatibility of the laws with the principles of the constitution. Attorney General Levin now plans to change the composition of the panel that appoints judges. This is because, according to Levin, the Supreme Court interferes excessively in political decisions.
The president of the Supreme Court in Israel, Esther Chajut (69), warned on Thursday in an unusually sharply worded speech of a “deadly blow” to the independence of the judges. After the planned reforms, the country’s democratic identity would be completely disrupted, she said. Justice Minister Levin subsequently accused Chayut of being on the side of the opposition.
President Izchak Herzog (62) expressed concern on Sunday about the “deep fracture that is tearing our country apart”. He stressed that the foundations of Israeli democracy, including the judicial system, are sacred and must be closely guarded. He is trying to have a constructive dialogue between both parties, Herzog said, according to his office.
Most right-wing government
Israel’s far-right police minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir (46), had announced a crackdown on demonstrators earlier this week. However, the protests were largely peaceful. Police only prevented several hundred protesters from blocking a highway in Tel Aviv.
The government of re-elected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is, according to experts, the most right-wing government Israel has ever had. (ced/SDA)