Israel judicial reform: Crowds confront police as key law passed
25-07-2023, 09:54

Font size: [ A+ ] / [ A- ]

Israeli police clashed with crowds of protesters at night after parliament adopted a highly controversial law to limit the Supreme Court's powers.

The measure - part of a big reform package - will prevent the court from overruling government actions it considers unreasonable.

Police in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv used water cannon to disperse protesters blocking highways.

Critics say the hard-right government's reforms threaten Israeli democracy.

After months of mass street protests over the judicial reform Monday's Knesset (parliament) vote was an important victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But the battle is not over. It may go on for months.

A political watchdog group and centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid plan to petition the Supreme Court to annul the new law.

Moreover, Israel's Histadrut trade union confederation has threatened a general strike and thousands of military reservists, including air force pilots, have vowed to not report for duty if the law is allowed to stand.

For a country that prides itself on its ability to respond fast to any kind of threat, the fact that Israel's very security might be compromised is causing real anxiety.

Mr Netanyahu has insisted the law is necessary for the government to "carry out policy in line with the decision of the majority of the citizens of the country".

But he said he was willing to resume talks with the opposition, even until November, to find an all-inclusive agreement.

The planned reforms have triggered some of the biggest protests in Israel's history. On Monday at least 22 people were arrested, police said.

Opponents fear the changes could undermine the country's democratic system, tipping it into authoritarian territory.

They worry that nationalist and ultra-Orthodox religious parties allied to Mr Netanyahu will be able to shape policy with unchecked power.

But the government argues that the reforms are necessary to correct an imbalance in power which has seen the courts increasingly intervene in political decisions.

The so-called "reasonableness" bill was approved by 64 votes to 0, after the opposition boycotted the final vote.

The White House - a key ally of Israel - called it "unfortunate" that the law had been passed.

The vote brings to a head months of turmoil, with Israel's president warning political leaders on Monday that the country was "in a state of national emergency".

The street protests outside the Knesset lasted all of Monday, amid a cacophony of noise from drums, whistles and air horns.

A demonstrator lying in the street told the BBC he was was defying "dictatorship", adding that his grandfather had been a wartime codebreaker against the Nazis at the UK's famous Bletchley Park.

Asked how long he would stay put he said: "We will never surrender".

Another, Reut Yifat Uziel, the daughter of a paratrooper pictured in an iconic Israeli photograph of the capture of the Western Wall in the 1967 Middle East war, said she feared for her children's future.

"Netanyahu kidnapped the country and I am worried it will become a theocracy," she said.

The protesters - tens of thousands of whom marched some 45 miles (70km) from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem at the end of last week - set up camp in a park between the Knesset and the Supreme Court, which are located almost next to each other.

Mr Netanyahu was in parliament for the vote hours after being discharged from hospital following unscheduled surgery for a pacemaker on Saturday.

The controversial reforms have polarised Israel, triggering one of the most serious domestic crises in the country's history.

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets weekly since the start of the year in protest at what they say is an attack on democracy.

Former heads of Israel's security services, chief justices, and prominent legal and business figures have also been vocal against the government's reforms.

The measures have also been criticised by the US President Joe Biden, who in his most explicit comments yet called for the "divisive" reforms to be postponed.

 

BBC

Comments: 278
#278   Carrol
      
References:


Safe Osko pokies onlinevetjobs.com
Yesterday, 11:51
#277   Precious
      
References:


Fund casino account with BPay highest paying bpay pokies
Yesterday, 01:43
#276   Samual
      
References:


Pokies with payid deposit payid pokies real money no deposit
18 September 2026 17:39
#275   Dick
      
References:


Anonymous payid pokies top rated payid pokies
18 September 2026 16:11
#274   Milan
      
References:


Payid pokies fast payout online pokies payid australia
18 September 2026 13:09
#273   Kenton
      
References:


Payid pokies real money no deposit https://myspace.com/
16 September 2026 12:15
#272   Scott
      
References:


Safe payid pokies australia best payid pokies australia
16 September 2026 10:32
#271   Kurt
      
References:


Instant payid pokies VIP payid pokies australia
16 September 2026 07:16
#270   Louann
      
References:


Trusted payid pokies australia instant withdrawal payid pokies
15 September 2026 17:23
#269   Rochelle
      
References:


Online casino payid pokies t.044300.net
14 September 2026 20:50
#268   Keri
      
13 September 2026 09:34
#267   Madonna
      
References:


Same day payout pokies payid bbs.51pinzhi.cn
12 September 2026 06:43
#266   Keeley
      
References:


Payid pokies casinos mobile pokies
payid
11 September 2026 11:50
#265   Marlene
      
References:


Top 10 Sofort Casinos community.lyftdata.com
4 September 2026 17:17
#264   Arletha
      
References:


Trustly Casino Spiele https://discourse.panda3d.org/
4 September 2026 10:20
#263   Darrell
      
References:


Best neosurf deposit casino australia 10 dollar neosurf casino australia
4 September 2026 09:00
#262   Jacquetta
      
References:


Online pokies bpay deposit forum.roguepenguingames.com
3 September 2026 06:46
#261   Jeanna
      
20 August 2026 09:28
#260   Charis
      
References:


Solitaire strategy http://www.google.kz
14 August 2026 20:49
#259   Lorenzo
      
13 August 2026 18:58
Add Comments

Name:*
E-Mail:
  Geo Keyboard  
 

Dear reader, guardian.ge welcomes your comments. Please express your views on topic and be respectful of others.

bold italic underline strike | align left centered align right | Ensert smilies insert linkInsert protected URL Choice the color | hidden text insert quote Convert selected text from transliteration to Cyrillic alphabet Insert spoiler

Code: *


Back1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 14Next