A large group of Israeli activists on Wednesday July 19, marched from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in protest against the hard-right government’s proposed judicial overhaul. They expressed concerns that this planned reform poses a threat to liberal democracy in the country.
Hundreds of Israeli activists marched from Tel Aviv toward Jerusalem Wednesday to protest against the hard-right government’s planned judicial overhaul, which they fear threatens liberal democracy.
The march is part of a months-long wave of protests that saw thousands block roads and train stations across the country Tuesday, ahead of an upcoming parliament vote on a key clause of the reform agenda.
The judicial reform plan, announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in January, has split the nation.
It has sparked one of Israel’s biggest ever protest movements, with weekly demonstrations often drawing tens of thousands.
It has also drawn international criticism, including from Israel’s close ally the United States, where Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
US President Joe Biden has regularly voiced criticism of the proposed judicial reforms.
Tuesday’s mass protests, billed as a “national day of resistance”, came after lawmakers adopted in a first reading a bill to limit the “reasonability” clause that now allows the judiciary to strike down government decisions.
The Israeli parliament is due to begin the much-awaited second and third readings of the controversial bill on Monday.
The government, which includes Netanyahu’s extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues the changes are necessary to ensure a better balance of power.
Khalil Wakim, with AFP