The government’s proposal to approve a judicial reform law is being opposed by tens of thousands of Israelis, who claim it poses a threat to democracy.
Prior to the first reading of the legislation to alter the selection process for judges, protesters from all over Israel descended on Jerusalem on Monday for a rally in the vicinity of the Knesset for the second consecutive week.
The country’s system of checks and balances, according to many detractors, will be destroyed, and the prime minister would hold a disproportionate amount of power. Additionally, they claim that the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, has a conflict of interest.
Tens of thousands of people have attended weekly protests in Tel Aviv since early January, when demonstrators accuse the government of trying to seize power.
Despite huge protests, warnings from military and industry leaders, and requests for prudence from the United States, the government—the most right-wing in Israel’s history—is moving forward with the plan.
Police officials maintained barriers in Jerusalem to stop protesters from entering parliament, many of whom were carrying Israeli flags. According to Tel Aviv police, eight protesters were detained for violating the peace and defying orders.
Tamara Newman, head of foreign relations at the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, stated that “this isn’t a trivial adjustment to a piece of legislation.” The goal of the comprehensive judicial makeover is to significantly undermine Israel’s court system, which serves as a check on the executive branch of the country’s government.
She declared, “This government will have total power.” The government is then free to enact any law.
By granting the government a de facto majority in the selection of judges, the law would give elected officials more power over the legal system.
Jurists are currently chosen by a committee under the direction of the justice minister. Judges, legislators, and attorneys on behalf of the Israeli Bar Association are present.
The members of the association would be dismissed under the government’s plans, and the office of the justice minister would name two “members of the public” in their place. The group would still include active justices and another Israeli minister.
A pillar of Netanyahu’s cabinet, a coalition of far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties that gained office in December, is the extensive judicial reform program.
Netanyahu has stated his willingness to speak with the opposition, but he also pledged to move quickly to pass the law.
On Monday, lawmakers will vote for the first time on proposals to alter the make-up of the body responsible for choosing judges.
The portion of the bill that was voted on on Monday has only undergone the first of the three readings necessary for parliamentary approval. Although that procedure is anticipated to take months, the vote, which many critics view as an act of bad faith, shows the coalition’s will to continue.
On the legislative agenda is a bill that would forbid judges from overturning Israel’s quasi-constitution, the so-called Basic Laws.
Israel is currently experiencing one of its worst domestic crises, and the impasse has widened the gap between Israelis over the nature of their nation and the principles they believe ought to govern it.
The leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid, called the current state of affairs “the biggest internal crisis the state of Israel has ever known.”
Even the US, Israel’s main international backer, has issued a rare warning in response to the plan.
On a podcast over the weekend, US Ambassador Tom Nides recommended that Israel “pump the brakes” on the law and look for agreement on changes that would safeguard Israel’s democratic institutions.
Allies of Netanyahu reacted angrily to Nides’ remarks and warned him to keep out of Israel’s domestic matters.
According to a report from West Jerusalem, “The US, which often stays out of Israeli politics, has even intervened and persuaded the administration to put a stop to that decision in order to talk with the opposition party.”
Israel has long bragged about its democratic credentials, but some argue that this boast is soiled by the country’s occupation of the West Bank and the way it treats its Palestinian minority.
Israel’s Palestinian inhabitants, who may stand to lose the most from the law reform, have mainly refrained from participating in the demonstrations, in part due to domestic discrimination and Israel’s 55-year military occupation of their West Bank neighbors.
While Palestinians living in the same region are under to military control and are not allowed to vote, Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank are allowed to vote in Israeli elections and are largely protected by Israeli legislation.
