Mass protest against judicial reform
Ex-Prime Minister Barak warns of dictatorship in Israel
02/25/2023, 9:40 p.m
A threatened disempowerment of the highest court in Israel is again driving tens of thousands onto the streets. At a rally, former Prime Minister Barak warns against drifting into dictatorship. Meanwhile, right-wing populist Prime Minister Netanyahu has come under criticism for a statement.
Tens of thousands of Israelis have again demonstrated in several cities against the planned judicial reform in the country. In the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv, numerous people marched through the streets with blue and white Israeli flags. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak warned of an impending coup in a speech.
“The reform is an assassination attempt on the Declaration of Independence and will turn Israel into a dictatorship,” Barak said at the protest, according to The Times of Israel news site. If the controversial reform progresses, one must switch to non-violent resistance, he demanded at the rally, which took place for the eighth Saturday evening in a row. Protests also erupted again in other major cities such as Jerusalem and Haifa.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile rejected media reports that he had called for action to be taken “with the fist” against the demonstrators. Rather, he meant that lying arguments had to be thrown off, he wrote on Twitter.
Parliament can overturn the Supreme Court
According to plans by Netanyahu’s right-wing religious government, parliament should in future be able to overturn decisions by the highest court with a simple majority. In addition, politicians should be given more influence in the appointment of judges. The legislative proposal, which includes numerous other far-reaching changes, could also play into Netanyahu’s hands in the corruption process currently being carried out against him.
Critics see the democratic separation of powers in danger and warn that the country could turn into a dictatorship. The government, on the other hand, argues that the Supreme Court currently wields too much political influence. Because Israel does not have a written constitution and the state is instead based on a set of basic laws, the Supreme Court is of particular importance in upholding the rule of law and human rights.