For the thirty-first week in a row, protesters against the judicial reform flocked to the streets on Saturday in cities such as central Tel Aviv and northern Galilee, beating drums and honking horns.
The Israeli parliament’s ratification of the “reasonableness clause” bill, the first component of Benjamin Netanyahu’s reform package, on Monday sparked an unprecedented crisis and exposed a widening societal chasm.
Political watchdog organizations have petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn Monday’s measure, which takes away the top court’s ability to overturn actions it believes to be “unreasonable” by the government.
In September, the court said that it will hear arguments, setting the stage for a constitutional clash.
The rallies on Saturday had been planned in 150 towns and cities, according to Bernard Smith of Al Jazeera, who was reporting from Tel Aviv, “so people don’t necessarily have to converge to Tel Aviv or Jerusalem.”
Smith stated that despite the decreased attendance in the nation’s capital compared to earlier this week, people were committed to voicing their objections. They now understand that the government is moving through with its agenda, he added.
The government is under constant pressure from protesters to stop more reform initiatives from moving forward after the summer break for the legislature.
The attorney general’s duties are divided, there are significant modifications to the legislation governing the relationship between the Knesset and the High Court of Justice, and there are restrictions on the capacity to petition the government.
According to critics, Netanyahu is endangering Israel’s democratic values and judicial independence, presumably in response to the corruption investigation he is currently involved in.
One proposed change would give the government the authority to designate more people to a committee that oversees Supreme Court nominees, enabling Netanyahu to stack the court with more supportive judges.
Both the allegations and the claims have been refuted by the prime minister. According to him, a number of laws were required to balance the various departments of government.
Should the government’s intentions prove successful, the prime minister can decide to reinstall several previous officials, including former Interior and Health Minister Aryeh Deri, despite their criminal convictions.
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