Tension in Israel, thousands of protesters take to the streets
Since the judicial reforms proposed by the ruling coalition are considered a threat to democracy, demonstrations have increased in different regions of Israel. Tens of thousands of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv and other cities on Saturday, just days after the Knesset (parliament) approved on first reading a crucial clause in the judicial reforms that would limit the judiciary's ability to override government decisions.
“This is a war for the nation. Israel's democracy must be maintained. The dictatorship's laws will not be passed here," a protester named Nelly El-Ezra, 54, told AFP, adding that doing so would be detrimental to Israel's finances. and international prestige. “Things will only get worse. People are already leaving. We are incurring losses. Investors are migrating. The rest of the world is not willing to communicate with us.” Ezra continued, "No one is satisfied with what is happening here.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opted to ”suspend" the approval of the reform in March last year after facing significant opposition and growing international criticism, in particular from US President Joe Biden. However, talks with the opposition on the proposals ended in an impasse. a month ago.
Elad Ziv, a 45-year-old protester told Al-Ain reporters: “We have two and a half weeks until the end of the summer session of parliament, and we must suspend it, otherwise Israel will become a worse country. The next few weeks are crucial to stop the judicial reform." Since the judicial reform bill was published in January, there have been weekly protests in Israel. Although the protests spread to the tech industry and military reserves, they do not seem to hinder the ruling coalition's legislation.
The reform, according to Benjamin Netanyahu's administration, which is made up of his Likud party and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox allies, is necessary to restore the balance of power between the judiciary and the legislature.
Following demonstrations against the government's advance of the first law aimed at reforming the judiciary last week, Israeli police clashed violently with thousands of protesters across the country. Several protesters were injured as a result of the use of water cannons at major demonstrations, including a woman who was shot in the head on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway.
The Times of Israel reported that police were frequently seen acting harshly and assaulting protesters. In a clear escalation against the Israeli government's conduct in this matter in response to the coalition led by the decision of Prime Minister Benjamin, the administration of US President Joe Biden last week urged the Israeli authorities to protect and respect the right to peaceful assembly in the face of the implementation of comprehensive measures by Netanyahu.