Three days after parliament adopted a bill allowing lawmakers to overrule a Supreme Court decision with a simple majority, tens of thousands of Israelis protested the far-right government’s ambitions to alter the legal system on Saturday.
The approval of the “Supreme Court override” bill in a preliminary Knesset vote was the latest action taken by Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition toward implementing the judicial reform, which is moving forward despite calls for dialogue and agreement from American Jews and the president of Israel, as well as the weekly large-scale protests.
The protesters contend that the proposed amendments weaken Israel’s top court, endanger democratic values, and consolidate power in the hands of the ruling coalition in parliament.
In the opinion of Netanyahu and his ruling coalition, the court has unfettered power.
The weekly demonstrations have gained traction for eight weeks, and significant portions of Israeli society and industry have joined them.
The main protest and other smaller ones across the nation occurred on Saturday in Tel Aviv, the nation’s capital.
The demonstrators displayed anti-judicial reform sentiments on posters, pyrotechnics, and Israeli flags.
One sign read, “No Constitution, No Democracy.” Several protesters stood in front of a sign that said, about the vote, “They Shall Not Pass” and “We Shall Override.”
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