The Israeli Government’s Proposed Overhaul of the Judiciary System Sparks Mass Protests and Concerns Over Democracy

Israel has been facing mounting domestic turmoil in recent months as hundreds of thousands of citizens have taken to the streets to protest against the government’s proposed overhaul of the judiciary system. The opposition has centered around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s push to give the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) more power over the judiciary, which would grant the ruling party the power to influence how judges are appointed and even overturn court decisions.[0] Critics say the changes would undermine judicial independence and threaten Israel's democracy.[1] It is possible that Netanyahu intends to exploit those powers to evade his own corruption allegations.[0]

The proposed overhaul of the judiciary system has sparked mass protests, alarmed business leaders and former security chiefs, and drawn concern from the United States and other close allies. Histadrut, the largest labor union in Israel, has called for its members to strike as tens of thousands of Israelis take to the streets in protest.[2] Demonstrators have announced a “national paralysis week”, including countrywide rallies, protests outside ministers' homes and on Wednesday outside parliament.[3] The unrest deepened when Netanyahu’s office announced the firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a one-line statement, after he became the first member of the cabinet to call for a pause to the controversial plans.

The political crisis deepened on Sunday when Netanyahu’s government passed a law making it harder to oust prime ministers that was condemned by critics as a self-preservation tactic. The bill that declares the leader unfit can only be approved by the prime minister or the cabinet with a two-thirds majority, and it was passed by the Knesset with a final vote of 61-to-47.[4] The approval of the cabinet vote would require a super majority endorsement in the parliament.[4]

However, after months of sustained protests over the plans and mounting international pressure, Netanyahu announced that he would delay the proposed overhaul, suggesting that a compromise was needed to prevent “a civil war.”[5] Despite the opposition's efforts, several protesters have committed to maintaining the pressure until the legislation is retracted.[6] Netanyahu’s decision to back down was seen as a victory for the people, who have shown the power of protest in an unlikely collaboration between big business and labor.

The mass protest movement that has formed in response to Netanyahu’s government is aimed at preventing an overhaul of the court system that seeks to reform the traditionally powerful Israeli judiciary.[7] However, a more profound pattern is in motion: the surge of the ultra-Orthodox community in the elections.[7] The State of Israel is currently experiencing its most intense political conflict, which raises questions about the underlying principles of governance. The country has a form of bourgeois democracy that is discriminatory towards its “official” population, while the Palestinian population in the territories of '67 is subject to police and military control. This clash touches on the very foundations of the Israeli political system.[8]

The ongoing protests against Netanyahu’s attempts to seize and cripple the judiciary suggest that nearly 1.5 million people may have participated, highlighting the growing unrest among the Israeli population.[0] The proposed overhaul of the judiciary system has been seen as a threat to the country’s democracy and judicial independence, and the delay in the legislation has been seen as a victory for those who have been fighting against it.

0. “The Israeli Protests Show the Political Power of Unions” The New Republic, 27 Mar. 2023, https://newrepublic.com/post/171392/israeli-unions-forced-netanyahu-backtrack-judicial-overhaul-plan

1. “Netanyahu Says Protesters Just Don't Get it, Blames Israeli ‘Propaganda'” Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/netanyahu-says-protesters-just-dont-get-it-blames-israeli-propaganda-1790632

2. “‘Leftist traitors’: Thousands protest in support of judicial reform” The Jerusalem Post, 27 Mar. 2023, https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-735564

3. “Israel: Defence minister calls for pause to reforms as thousands protest” Middle East Eye, 25 Mar. 2023, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/defence-minister-calls-pause-reforms-israelis-protest

4. “Israel judicial overhaul plans delayed amid huge protests, says Ben Gvir's Jewish Power party” CNN, 27 Mar. 2023, https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/27/middleeast/israel-judicial-overhaul-protests-intl/

5. “Jewish community in Metro Detroit speaks out on mass protests in Israel” WDIV ClickOnDetroit, 27 Mar. 2023, https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/03/27/jewish-community-in-metro-detroit-speaks-out-on-mass-protests-in-israel/

6. “Israel protests and Netanyahu's judicial reform plans, explained” The Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/03/27/israel-protests-judicial-reform/

7. “Is this the last gasp of Israel's secular Left?” UnHerd, 27 Mar. 2023, https://unherd.com/thepost/israeli-protests-the-last-gasp-of-the-secular-left/

8. “Israel-Palestine || General Strike Against Netanyahu and Far Right Amid Historic Political Crisis” International Socialist, 27 Mar. 2023, https://internationalsocialist.net/en/2023/03/israel-palestine

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