Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, is accused of using judicial reform to soften the consequences of a conviction against the ruling.
Thousands of Israelis took part in a demonstration in Tel Aviv today against the judicial reform being attempted by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, which is seen as a threat to democracy.
The announcement in January of the government’s plans, which includes far-right and religious parties and is considered Israel’s most right-wing government since, sparked one of the largest protest movements in the country’s history, mobilizing thousands of protesters each week.
According to the Netanyahu government, the aim of the judicial reform is to “balance the powers”, by limiting the powers of the Supreme Court, which the government considers “politicized” and too intrusive, in favor of the Parliament, which is controlled by the government.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, is accused of using judicial reform to soften the consequences of a conviction against the ruling.
There are fears in Israel and abroad that the reform will pave the way for corruption and abuse of power by eliminating checks on the executive branch.
“Democracy, Democracy!” shouted the demonstrators. “We will not give up until the situation improves. Get off your balcony, the country is collapsing.”
“Despite months of protests, things are not going the way we wanted, because an important part of the judicial reform has been adopted by Parliament for a few weeks,” admitted one protester. “But if we keep pushing from the streets, it’s possible we can still stop the changes.”
The first provision of the bill, which limits the Supreme Court’s power to overturn government decisions through the “reasonableness” clause of government decisions, has already been adopted by the Knesset.
The clause forced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister Arie Deri, who had been convicted of tax fraud, after the Supreme Court intervened.
The parliamentary process to approve the judicial reform has been suspended as the Knesset is on summer recess. Netanyahu has said he is open to negotiations during the next stages.
Source :Skai
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