“Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took part in nationwide demonstrations Saturday evening in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government plans to overhaul the judiciary, The Times of Israel (ToI) reported.
Demonstrations in Tel Aviv and other cities
The main rally took place in Tel Aviv, where an estimated 200,000 people attended the main rally.
Tens of thousands of people also joined protests in many other places in the country, including Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheva.
The organizers of the protests reported that more than 630,000 people took part in the rallies in total. people. This number could not be independently verified.
In Tel Aviv, protesters stormed the highway and blocked it for hours. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters, 32 of whom were detained while officers tried to clear them out.
The total number of arrests nationwide was 44.
“Week of Paralysis”
Saturday’s demonstrations precede a nationwide “week of paralysis” starting Sunday, after Netanyahu announced that the government would pass a cornerstone bill in the coming days that would give the ruling coalition near-complete control over judicial appointments.
We are entering the most disastrous week in Israel’s history,” protest leaders quoted by ToI said in a statement. “This destructive government is tearing the nation apart and dismantling the military and economy
– added.
A country on the brink of civil war
The reform plans have led to weeks of protests in the streets of Israeli cities, sometimes in the form of violent clashes with police. Last week, Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog declared that the country was on the brink of civil war.
The government’s reform plan for the judiciary has divided the country, I have heard a lot of hateful rhetoric from both sides, I propose a compromise solution based on a mutual balance between the different branches of the government
said the chairman.
Judicial reform plan
The plan to reform the judiciary in early January, presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, is seen as an attempt to strengthen the legislative and executive branches at the expense of the judiciary. It presupposes, among other things, increasing government control over the selection process of judges, as well as the ability to overturn Supreme Court decisions by a 61-vote majority in Israel’s unicameral parliament of 120 seats—the Knesset.
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rm/PAP
Source: wPolityce