The demonstrators carried, among other things, a large banner with the words “Fugitive Dictator” written on a red background next to a picture of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Prime Minister is currently in the United States and has also faced protests against the Israeli government there.
The reason for the discontent among the demonstrators is the reform of the rule of law. According to the government, it must restore the balance of power in the country by reducing the privileges of the Supreme Court. For example, the nation’s highest court would not have the ability to challenge “unreasonable” government decisions.
But opponents believe the reform threatens to open the door to an anti-liberal or authoritarian regime. Hundreds of thousands of people have demonstrated in recent months. Israel does not have a constitution, which is why many residents believe it is important for judges to be able to blow the whistle on the government to prevent abuse of power.
The reform plans drawn up by the right-wing government date back to January of this year. In July, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, approved the right-wing government’s proposal to limit the influence of the Supreme Court, despite massive opposition. Negotiations to reach a compromise have not yielded any results so far.
