Thousands of Israeli demonstrators took to the streets today, Tuesday, in “Resistance Day” protests against the plan for judicial amendments that the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to pass, while lawmakers prepare to ratify one of the bills later in July.
The organizers of the protests announced that Israel was living “tragic days,” and added – in a statement – that the government “deviated from its path and is accelerating the pace to eliminate democracy.”
“Through non-violent acts of civil disobedience, we will continue to demonstrate in the streets until the complete reversal of judicial reform,” protest movement spokesman Josh Drill told AFP.
Videos posted on social media showed dozens of Israelis blocking streets and waving Israeli flags.
Protesters currently at the Tel Aviv train station and stations all over the country. Chants of “Democracy or Rebellion!” pic.twitter.com/rjB4ZJxUCD
— Josh Drill (@drill_josh) July 18, 2023
17 demonstrators were arrested
For its part, the Israeli police announced – in a statement – that it had arrested 17 people in various locations on suspicion of “closing roads and violating public order.”
The police indicated that demonstrators blocked many roads, especially in the Tel Aviv area.
Protests escalated in Israel as the government prepared to pass the “Reducing Reasonability” bill in the second and third readings in the Knesset (parliament).
The Israeli parliament is scheduled to hold voting sessions later this month. If the bill is approved, it becomes law.
Dozens of Israeli settlers took to the streets in Tel Aviv to protest against the right-wing Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plan. pic.twitter.com/0dN6FdhBDl
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 18, 2023
The “reasonableness clause” is one of the procedural tools available to the judicial system in Israel, in particular the judges of the Supreme Court (the highest judicial body).
Through it, the Supreme Court exercises judicial control over the work of the various arms of the executive power, represented by the government, its ministries, and its official bodies.
The amendment will give the government broader authority in appointing judges, and will particularly affect the appointment of ministers. Last January, a Supreme Court decision forced Netanyahu to dismiss the second-in-command in the government, Aryeh Deri, who had been convicted of tax evasion.
“Fateful Days”
And with the continuation of the protests – which began 28 weeks ago – against these amendments, the threats of officers and reservists in the various security institutions, including elite military units, intelligence and the Air Force, are increasing, to end their volunteering and not respond to calls for recruitment in the event that the government proceeds to pass legislation of what it calls ” judicial reform.
Recently, hundreds of officers and reservists announced that they would not respond to the call to volunteer if bills were passed, which the opposition says would turn Israel into a dictatorship.
Accordingly, the Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, put the issue on the table of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, warning of the consequences.
Halevy said – in a statement – “The various fronts, both far and near, require the Israeli army to remain vigilant in order to strengthen deterrence, and in order to succeed in preserving a good reality for the citizens of Israel.”
He added that security challenges “require high preparation at the present time,” noting that “anyone who calls for refusing military service during these days harms the army,” as well as Israel’s security.
For his part, Tamir Hayman, former commander of the Israeli Military Intelligence Division (Aman), said, “We are in fateful days for Israeli society and also for the future of the army.”
In a tweet on Monday, Heyman warned that the military was “at grave and tangible danger of being dismantled.”
Government annoyance
On the other hand, the Israeli government does not hide its annoyance at the escalation of calls for refusal of military service for officers and reservists, with its determination to move forward in approving draft laws for judicial amendments.
This is what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed – at the start of the weekly government session yesterday, Monday – by saying, “In a democracy, the army is subject to the elected government and not the other way around, while in the military system the government is subordinate to the military, or more precisely to a group within the army.”
Netanyahu considered that “incitement to refuse service and refusal of service in and of itself are contrary to democracy and the law,” adding that “incitement to refuse service and its refusal directly threaten the security of all citizens of Israel.”
For its part, the Netanyahu government says that the amendment aims to strike a balance between powers by reducing the powers of the Supreme Court, which the executive authority considers politicized.
On the other hand, the opposition says that the draft law, if approved, will limit the power of the Supreme Court to monitor the actions of the executive branch.
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2023-07-18 14:47:01
