On March 11, 2023, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in what has been described as the biggest street protests in Israel’s history. The protests were organized in response to the government’s plans to reform the judiciary, which opponents say threaten democracy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argues that the changes will restore balance between the branches of government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argues that the changes will restore balance between the branches of government.
On March 11, 2023, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in what has been described as the biggest street protests in Israel’s history.
The protests were organized in response to the government’s plans to reform the judiciary, which opponents say threaten democracy.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argues that the changes will restore balance between the branches of government.
According to protest organizers, as many as 500,000 demonstrators took to the streets across Israel for the 10th consecutive week, in what the Haaretz newspaper called “the largest demonstration in the country’s history”.
About 200,000 people turned up in Tel Aviv – many carrying Israel’s national flag – to rally against planned reforms by Mr Netanyahu’s hardline government.
The reforms aim to give the elected government decisive influence over the choice of judges and limit the ability of the Supreme Court to rule against the executive or strike down legislation.
The issue has caused deep divides in Israeli society and has seen reservists, the backbone of Israel’s military, threatening to refuse to serve as a way of showing their opposition.
Critics say the planned reforms, which are already making their way through parliament, will politicize the judiciary and could lead to an authoritarian government.
Opponents argue that the proposed changes would threaten the separation of powers and undermine the independence of the judiciary.
They argue that the reforms would allow the government to stack the courts with judges who are more sympathetic to its policies and limit the court’s ability to hold the government accountable.
Mr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the Israeli public at the last election.
The government has stood firm in the face of the uproar, claiming the protests are being fueled by political opponents.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said this was Israel’s “greatest crisis”. Speaking in the southern city of Be’er Sheva, he warned that the country was facing an unprecedented crisis.
“A wave of terrorism is hitting us, our economy is crashing, money is escaping the country. Iran just signed yesterday a new agreement with Saudi Arabia.
But the only thing this government cares about is crushing Israeli democracy,” he said. The clash over the commander’s position is significant.
It comes amid predictions of a possible constitutional crisis, involving Israel’s civil service and security forces being unable to take orders from the government, if no compromise is reached on the planned reforms.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that the National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has previous convictions for racist incitement and supporting terrorism over his backing of a Jewish extremist group.
Speaking at the demonstrations in Tel Aviv, former Israel police chief Moshe Karadi described Mr Ben-Gvir’s control of the force as an unprecedented danger.
He said the minister was “a convicted felon, enacting a hostile takeover of the police and trying to turn it into a private militia to serve his political purposes”.
Mr Ben-Gvir has said police would have “zero tolerance” of demonstrators who block roads, with forces using water cannon and stun grenades against protesters last week.
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