Over 5 lakh people take to streets amid protests against Israeli judicial overhaul

More than five lakh people packed city streets in Israel as demonstrations against the country’s judicial overhaul introduced by the hard-right government to allegedly curb the Supreme Court’s powers entered the 10th week on Saturday.

The protests are being pegged as the biggest ones in the country to date. Record numbers of demonstrators turned out in cities such as Haifa, while about 200,000 are believed to have taken to the streets in Tel Aviv.

Though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the planned changes are better for the electorate, critics see the changes as a threat to judicial independence.

“A wave of terrorism is hitting us, our economy is crashing, money is escaping the country. Iran just signed yesterday a new agreement with Saudi Arabia. But the only thing this government cares about is crushing Israeli democracy,” Opposition leader Yair Lapid was quoted as saying by the BBC.

Tamir Guytsabry, a protester in Tel Aviv, told Reuters, “It’s not a judicial reform. It’s a revolution that [is] making Israel go to full dictatorship and I want Israel to stay a democracy for my kids.”

The objective of the reforms is to grant the elected government greater influence in the selection of judges and restrict the Supreme Court’s authority to rule against the executive or nullify laws. This issue has created significant divisions in Israeli society and even prompted reservists, who form the backbone of Israel’s military, to threaten refusal to serve as a means of expressing their opposition.

On Monday, a group of reserve fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron made an unprecedented move by announcing their intention not to attend training. However, they later changed their minds and agreed to attend while also engaging in discussions with their superiors.

Protests took place on Thursday, with demonstrators blocking roads and attempting to prevent Netanyahu from departing the country. Nonetheless, he was able to take off for Rome. Despite the uproar, the government has remained resolute and accused political opponents of stoking the protests.