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On Monday, tens of thousands of Israelis held demonstrations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to protest against Judicial reform programme government, which they see as a threat to democracy, as lawmakers prepare to vote on the controversial bill.

The demonstrators began gathering in front of the parliament, ahead of the first reading vote on legislation to change the way judges are selected in Israel. According to the Israeli Channel 12, the number of demonstrators was estimated at about 30,000, while one of the organizers of the demonstration in Jerusalem expressed its hope that the number would reach 100,000.

Turning Israel into a dictatorship

Haim, who is part of a group (555) of Israeli Air Force pilots, arrived in Jerusalem to participate in the demonstration. He said they sent a message against the legislation “to preserve the country’s democracy and liberalism.” “The country is in danger,” said Dvir Bar, 45, who came from the central Israeli city of Holon. He saw it as “an attempted coup to turn Israel into a (state) dictatorship.”

An AFP correspondent stated that about 4,000 people, including parents, students and teachers, gathered in northern Tel Aviv.

Judicial reform is considered a basic program in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government coalition, which includes ultra-Orthodox and far-right Jewish parties, and assumed power in late December 2022. Netanyahu believes that reform is essential to restore balance to the branches of power, as he considers that judges have great power above elected representatives.

On Monday, Netanyahu said firmly that the protest leaders were “trampling democracy” and could not “accept the outcome of the elections.” In his speech from the Knesset, the Prime Minister emphasized that “the people’s representatives will exercise their right to vote here in the Israeli parliament.”

‘Worst domestic crisis’

On the other hand, the opponents of reform, who started organizing weekly protests about two months ago, believe that the government’s goal is to seize power. For his part, opposition leader Yair Lapid considered that the situation had developed into “the worst internal crisis Israel has ever known.” But he stressed, “We will not surrender.”

According to the Israeli police, eight demonstrators were arrested in Tel Aviv for violating public order and violating instructions.

Protester Kofi Squire arrived in front of the Knesset from the city of Givat Shmuel (center) to mainly object to the government’s plan to allow parliament to overturn any court decision by a simple majority, or what is called the “exception” clause. “If there is no judicial review, the government can take any decisions it wants without any restrictions,” he said, holding his daughter. He added, “You may put in place policies against women and others against Arabs and against religious people. Everyone will be affected.”

In the vicinity of the Israeli parliament, demonstrators wore T-shirts that read “Freedom”, while others held banners reading “No to a dictatorial government” and “Democracy speaks.” The demonstrators also held a red banner that read, “You corrupt people: stop!” On the highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the correspondent of the French News Agency saw a gathering of about 70 vehicles flying the Israeli flag and banners, preparing to set off towards Jerusalem.

Herzog: “We face a fateful test”

Lawmakers are scheduled to hold their first vote on the judge appointment clause later on Monday.

Supreme Court justices are currently appointed by a committee comprising judges, deputies, and lawyers from the Bar Association, under the supervision of the Minister of Justice.

The amendment proposes removing lawyers from this committee, and replacing them with two citizens appointed by the Office of Justice Minister Yariv Levin. The judges retain their membership in the committee, along with another Israeli minister.

The prime minister also criticized the behavior of demonstrators after they obstructed the departure of a member of the Parliamentary Justice Committee, Tali Gottlieb, from his home in central Israel, after they gathered in front of him. Through his Twitter account, Netanyahu said: “The demonstrators who talk about democracy are the ones who undermine it when they prevent the people’s representatives from exercising the basic right to democracy and to vote.” Netanyahu expressed his willingness to talk with the opposition, but this will not affect the legislation, as he pledged that he would move forward with its implementation without delay.

For his part, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was “concerned about the events,” which he described as an “existential crisis.” He said he was “concerned about what is happening in Israeli society”. “We are facing a fateful test,” Herzog added Sunday. “I see that the differences and divisions between us have become deeper and more painful.”

France 24/AFP