80,000 demonstrate in rain-soaked Tel Aviv against judicial reforms
Lawmaker from National Unity party tells Jewish News that Israel is 'on its way to fascism' but it's still possible to stop it.
More than 80,000 people demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Saturday night against judicial reforms that will significantly weaken the Supreme Court.
Chants of “Bibi go home” and “no to fascism” were heard in the sea of umbrellas at Habima Square in central Tel Aviv, while a number of lawmakers were calling on Israelis to ‘keep fighting’ for democracy.
Lawmaker Alan Schuster from the National Unity party told Jewish News at the rally that he didn’t think Israel was on its way to a civil war, like some journalists and experts have warned, but that the country was on a slippery slope to fascism.
Thousands demonstrating in Tel Aviv for second week in a row against the Israeli government’s judicial reforms that will curb the power of Supreme Court. Demonstrators warn Israel is on the way to fascism pic.twitter.com/tQd0WOo9u7
— Jotam Confino (@mrconfino) January 14, 2023
“It’s still possible to stop it. That’s why we will keep demonstrating. Netanyahu will feel the country tremble,” Schuster said.
Shai from the central city of Beersheba told Jewish News that Netanyahu couldn’t be trusted to protect democracy due to a “huge conflict of interest. He’s on trial for corruption, how can he change our judicial system?”
Former Supreme Court President Ayala Procaccia spoke at the mass rally at Habima Square, saying “a country in which judges go out to protest is a country where all lines were crossed.”
Former Justice Minister Tzipi Livni also spoke, saying she was “proud to marching with you. Together we will protect the state, because it is for all of us.”
Over 80,000 Israelis demonstrating across Israel tonight against Netanyahu and his government’s plan to curb the Supreme Court’s power pic.twitter.com/xIbNoPMFnp
— Jotam Confino (@mrconfino) January 14, 2023
Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich lashed out at the Israeli media for broadcasting the demonstration on live TV, saying they didn’t cover right-wing protests against the previous government.
“Despite that, we still overthrew the government and won the election,” Smotrich said.
Protestors were spread all across central Tel Aviv, with some taking to the Ayalon Highway, blocking traffic. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir instructed Police earlier this week to prevent protestors from blocking highways. “I’m in favour of protests, but anyone who blocks roads and who gets wild needs to be arrested,” Ben-Gvir said.
Demonstrations were also held in Haifa and in front of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s residence in Jerusalem, with protestors calling on him to intervene before it’s too late.
The public debate over the government’s judicial reforms, which will prevent the High Court of Justice from striking down laws passed in Knesset, boiled over in the past couple of weeks.
High Court President Esther Hayout issued an unprecedented and rare public rebuke of the government’s judicial reform plans, calling it an “unrestrained attack on the justice system.”
Justice Minister Yariv Levin fired back, accusing her of using the same rhetoric as some of the anti-Netanyahu demonstrators: “It’s the same political agenda, it’s the same call to set the streets on fire.”
National Unity party leader Benny Gantz warned Netanyahu and the government that if they continued on they “path” they are on “you will be responsible for civil war in Israeli society.
The organisers behind the mass rally have said they will continue to demonstrate every week until the government backs down from its judicial reform plans.
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