TEL AVIV: Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Tel Aviv again to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing religious government.
Thousands also demonstrated in Haifa and Jerusalem, and hundreds in other parts, according to several Israeli media reports.
Mass protests have been taking place across the country for months over the government’s plans to reform the judiciary.
Only a few days ago, Netanyahu announced his decision to push forward with the reform, after having temporarily suspended it when waves of protests paralysed the country in March.
The government has recently been embroiled in a separate crisis as they have been busy coming up with a budget plan for this year and next year.
The coalition managed to pass the budget just in time, to avoid parliament being automatically dissolved and early elections being called. The opposition continue to fiercely resist the planned judicial reform. Netanyahu in turn promises to reach a compromise with them, but negotiations have thus far been unsuccessful.
The prime minister’s own party, Likud, are meanwhile exerting pressure on him to pass the reform even without reaching an agreement. The far-right religious coalition wants to curtail the power of Israel’s supreme court by giving politicians more influence over the courts and parliament the power to overturn judicial decisions.
Israel’s leadership accuse the court of excessive interference in political decisions. Critics see the separation of powers in danger and warn of a national crisis.
Top economists and national security veterans have warned of fallout, saying an independent court system is crucial to Israel’s economic strength and defences against attempts to isolate it internationally.
Before the sun set on Saturday, ending the Jewish Sabbath, crowds once again gathered in Tel Aviv and other cities across Israel. With no official crowd sizes, it was hard to estimate whether the protest had less wind in its sails. — Agencies
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