Another major demonstration by opponents of reform was planned for Sunday in Tel Aviv on the occasion of a speech by Netanyahu at the General Assembly of Jewish Associations in North America. A rally in Tel Aviv was also announced for Tuesday evening. The supporters of the reform want to take to the streets on Thursday evening.
Important memorial days are coming up in Israel next week. On Tuesday, Remembrance Day or Yom Hasikaron, the country’s fallen soldiers and victims of terror are commemorated. Israel’s founding 75 years ago will be celebrated on Wednesday.
The demonstrators accuse the government of wanting to weaken the country’s independent judiciary with its reform. Opponents of the judicial reform have been protesting regularly for 16 weeks since the planned reform was announced in early January. According to their will, the protests should continue until the project is completely stopped.
The government’s plan aims to reduce the powers of the judiciary and the Supreme Court and strengthen the position of Parliament and the Prime Minister. With the reform, MPs could overrule any decisions made by the chief justices.
Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, says the reform is necessary to restore balance in the separation of powers. Critics, on the other hand, fear that the separation of powers will be abolished and that democracy will be undermined.
Under the growing pressure from the streets and also the first splits within his own Likud party, Netanyahu announced a “pause” in the legislative process at the end of March in order to “give dialogue a chance”.
