Police used water cannons to disperse protesters gathered outside the Knesset in Jerusalem. One protester was injured, local media reported, and six were arrested
Police used water cannons and arrested protesters outside Israel’s parliament ahead of a key vote on the tumultuous justice reform bill.
Months of unrest and some of the largest protests in Israel’s history have followed the passage of the bill.
About 150 large companiesincluding banks, they go on strike on Monday in protest.
The reforms aim to limit the powers of the courts, which according to the government have expanded too much. Opponents say the reforms endanger Israel as a democracy.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the country was in a “state of national emergency” and called on political leaders to reach a compromise.
Monday morning police used water cannons to disperse protestersgathered outside the Knesset in Jerusalem. One protester was injured, local media reported, and six were arrested, according to police. Other protesters surrounded a police van shouting “shame” on the officers.
Israeli police used water cannon to disperse an impromptu anti-judicial reform rally near the parliament building in Jerusalem, Kan broadcaster reported.
Long live the dictatorship!!
The new Israel 😡😡🪖 pic.twitter.com/o63BbBThAn— Frank Schramm5🍊 (@FrankSchrammJAX) July 24, 2023
The protesterstens of thousands of whom marched some 70 kilometers from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem late last week, they are trying to block the passage of the first billof a reform package.
The bill removes the power of the Supreme Court to overturn government decisions.
The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he would be in parliament for the vote after undergoing unscheduled surgery on Saturday to have a pacemaker fitted. He was discharged from the hospital on Monday morning.
The controversial reforms have polarized Israel, sparking one of the most serious domestic crises in the country’s history.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters take to the streets every week since the beginning of the year in protest against an attack on democracy. The government says the reforms serve to strengthen democracy, arguing that the Supreme Court has amassed too much power in politics in recent decades.
As the crisis deepens, thousands of reservists, including air force pilots who are vital to Israel’s offensive and defensive capabilities, have vowed not to volunteer for service. Such an unprecedented protest has raised concern about the potential impact on Israel’s military readiness.
Former heads of Israel’s security services, top judges and prominent legal and business figures have also voiced their opposition to the government’s reforms.
The measures were also criticized by US President Joe Biden, who bluntly called for the “divisive” bill to be postponed.
Source :Skai
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