The World Briefly

February 22, 2023

The Roar

Israel

Listen to Today's Edition

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused demonstrators of “trampling on democracy,” as huge protests continued this week against the ruling right-wing coalition’s plan to overhaul Israel’s judiciary, the Guardian reported.

More than 100,000 people protested outside the country’s parliament in Jerusalem on Monday, as a preliminary vote over the judicial reform passed following a bitter debate that dragged on into the early hours of Tuesday.

The planned overhaul would allow a simple parliamentary majority to override Supreme Court decisions and have more influence on the committee that appoints judges.

Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition have defended the changes, saying they will help balance different branches of government and counter a perceived left-wing bias in the court’s decisions. The prime minister has criticized the protests for “threatening us with civil war and blood in the streets.”

Critics, meanwhile, said such a move would give politicians unprecedented power in a country with no formal constitution.

The controversial bill has sparked some of the largest demonstrations in Israeli history, with strikes and marches held outside the Israeli parliament for the past two weeks.

Criticism has also emerged from economists, military leaders, Israel’s crucial hi-tech sector and the business community, and the country’s allies including the US. A recent poll conducted by Israel’s Channel 12 found that 60 percent of voters want the government to halt or postpone the legislation.

While the preliminary vote applies to one aspect of the changes, it is only the first of three votes required for the reform plan’s parliamentary approval. Even so, many see it as an act of bad faith that it went forward despite repeated pleas for a postponement to allow for talks with the opposition.

This story originally appeared in the February 22, 2023 newsletter, A People, Betrayed.