On Saturday (July 22), tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in Jerusalem to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul. This comes amidst increasing pressure on Israel’s right-wing government, as over 1,100 Israeli air force reservists, including fighter pilots, threatened to suspend their volunteer service ahead of the parliamentary vote on the judicial overhaul scheduled for Monday.
The protesters are marching to Jerusalem in advance of the upcoming vote, which aims to curtail the powers of the Israeli supreme court. Several months ago, Netanyahu suspended the overhaul push following nationwide protests and international pressure. However, talks with opposition parties stalled, prompting the PM to reintroduce the legislation, eliminating certain parts while retaining others. One of the key changes would limit the Supreme Court’s ability to nullify government and ministerial decisions it deems “unreasonable.”
Although the legislation had been on hold for weeks, the government is now seeking to pass the law before the Israeli parliament’s July 30 recess. As part of the legislation, the Knesset would be granted the authority to override the top court’s decisions with a simple majority, a move criticized by opponents who fear it could lead to corruption and abuses of power.
Protesters have been marching for days, with plans to rally outside the Israeli parliament ahead of the Sunday debate and subsequent vote on the bill. The march, which began with only a few participants from Tel Aviv on Tuesday, has become a significant event in the seven-month-long anti-overhaul protest movement. Demonstrators have set up camps overnight and have been met with support from locals offering them food and drinks.
Protest leader Shikma Bressler told Reuters that she cannot say for certain if the march will stop the bill from passing, but she emphasized that the vote is not the final step. The protesters aim to build a collective force in the country to advocate for what they believe is right and just.
Local media reports indicate that, in addition to the large protest outside the Knesset on Saturday evening, the anti-overhaul demonstrators are also planning to rally outside Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem. Additionally, protests will be held at Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street, the main site of the weekly anti-government demonstrations.
This upcoming demonstration will mark the 29th week of protests against the contentious judicial overhaul proposal. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to participate in rallies at over 150 locations across Israel to voice their opposition to Netanyahu’s government.
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