Israelis return to demonstrate in Tel Aviv against the judicial amendments
Thousands of Israelis returned to demonstrate in the streets of Tel Aviv, on Thursday evening, to protest the parliament’s approval of a key item in the package of judicial amendments that the right-wing government seeks to pass.
The demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv, which has become a focus of demonstrations since the judicial reform plan was first unveiled in January, waving Israeli flags and chanting “Democracy, Democracy”.
Last Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his partners in the ruling coalition managed to pass an item in parliament in a vote on a text that his opponents assert would undermine democracy and turn Israel into a dictatorship.
Demonstrations were held until late at night after the vote, last Monday, during which the police used water cannons to disperse protesters, dozens of whom were arrested.
“We approved the amendment of the reasonableness clause so that the elected government can implement a policy that is in line with the decision of the majority of the country’s citizens,” Netanyahu said in a televised speech. The “reasonableness” clause eliminates the possibility of the judiciary examining the “reasonableness” of government decisions.
The Israeli government asserts that the draft amendment of the judicial system is necessary to ensure a better balance of powers by reducing the powers of the Supreme Court, which it considers politicized. The amendment will give the government broader power to appoint judges and will particularly affect the appointment of ministers.
Opponents of Netanyahu, who is being tried on charges of corruption, accuse him of conflicting interests and of seeking to torpedo any possible ruling against him. In January, a decision by the Supreme Court forced Netanyahu to dismiss the second official in the government, Aryeh Deri, who was convicted of tax evasion.
(AFP)
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2023-07-27 22:01:14
