More than 100,000 protest in Israel as defiant Netanyahu stands ground on judicial reform plans

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed protests against his government’s judicial reform plans, as dozens of protesters gathered in cities across the country for a third weekend.

Saturday’s protests drew up to 130,000 people to central Tel Aviv, according to Israeli media, while other protests took place in the cities of Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba.

Demonstrators protested the new government’s attempt to give Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, the power to overturn Supreme Court decisions would threaten democratic checks and balances on ministers by the courts.

But Netanyahu said he refused to accept the results of last November’s election, which produced one of the most right-wing governments in Israel’s history.

In addition to the protests, pressure has been building on Netanyahu’s government after the country’s attorney general asked Netanyahu to fire a key cabinet ally following a Supreme Court ruling that disqualified him from holding government posts over alleged tax evasion.

While Netanyahu is expected to listen to the court’s verdict, it only deepens the divisions in the country over the judicial system and the power of the courts.

Controversial judicial reform

The plan, which the government says is needed to prevent overreach by activist judges, has drawn fierce opposition from groups including lawyers, and concerns among business leaders, deepening deep political divisions in Israeli society.

Protesters say the future of Israeli democracy is at stake if the plan, which would tighten government control over judicial appointments and limit the Supreme Court’s power to review government decisions.

Also threatening the independence of judges and weakening the oversight of the government and parliament, they said the plans would undermine the rights of minorities and open the door to more corruption.

“We are fighting for democracy,” said Amnon Miller, 64, among the protesters, many of whom carried white and blue Israeli flags. “We fought in this country in the army for 30 years for our freedom and we will not allow this government to take away our freedom.”

“All generations are concerned. This is not a joke,” Lior Student, a protester, told The Associated Press. “This is a complete redefinition of democracy.”

PM court battle

The new government, which took office this month, is an alliance between Netanyahu’s Likud party and a smaller party of religious and right-wing nationalist parties that say they have a mandate for sweeping change.

Netanyahu – who is on trial on corruption charges he denies – has defended his judicial reform plan, which is being examined by a parliamentary committee, saying it would restore balance between the three branches of government.

Likud has long accused the Supreme Court of being dominated by left-wing judges who it says are encroaching on areas outside its jurisdiction for political reasons. Defenders of the court say it plays an important role in ensuring accountability in a country that does not have a formal constitution to contain government actions.

One protester in Tel Aviv said he thought the court change was to protect Netanyahu. “The goal is to save one and only one – this is Mr. Netanyahu, from the court, and that’s why I’m here.”

A survey released by the Israel Democracy Institute last week showed confidence in the Supreme Court was higher among left-wing Israelis than among the right, but there was no overall support for weakening the judiciary’s powers.