ThIsrael is boiling with protests for the tenth consecutive week. Five lakh people participated in the protest rally on Saturday night. This is the largest protest rally in Israel’s history. Know the reasons that led to such a protest.
Fear of internal conflict
The protests are against the far-right government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, preparing to curb the Supreme Court’s powers. Israel’s parliament passed a law in 1992 giving judges the power to veto legislation. It had caused a lot of controversy back then. The Act empowered judges to block laws affecting fundamental individual liberties, such as the right to privacy and property. The Supreme Court has used this law more than 20 times in three decades. The Supreme Court has used this power to block laws including blocking certain settlement construction in the occupied West Bank and removing special rights granted by parliament to ultra-Orthodox Jews. This has led to a deep ideological and cultural divide between sectarians and religio-nationalists who want the country to be more secular and inclusive. The protests and clashes with the military have also drawn criticism from the influential American Jewish community and the Israeli tech sector. There is a fear that it will lead to internal conflict.
The far right argues that Israel is a majoritarian democracy and that elected representatives should be prioritized over the judicial system. But the other side points to the need for liberal democracy in Israel. There is a need for a strong judicial check on Parliament. They also say that the court is the last line of defense against the fast-growing far-right ideology. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing corruption charges, has been pushing for judicial reform since taking office last year by forming a coalition government with the far-right. Moves to make the justice system look like a way to remove obstacles to the goal.
Justice can be chosen by the government
The government’s reforms aim to remove the Supreme Court’s power to overrule laws passed by Parliament. Moreover, the Parliament can also override the decisions of the Supreme Court. Through this, the government will have great control over the selection of justice. Even limited checks on the government will weaken. The Supreme Court has often been a rare and limited source of legal recourse for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and the main protector of minorities. The Supreme Court has barred the Israelis from building buildings on private Palestinian land in the West Bank. But in many places the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the settlers, allowing Palestinians to be evicted from their homes without stopping immigration.
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Aharon Barak, 86, is a prime target of the right wing. During his tenure as Chief Justice in 1995-2006, several court restrictions came over Parliament. He was an advocate of judicial intervention in public life. It may be added here that Law Minister Yariv Levin said last January that Aharon was the one who brought disaster to Israel. The government’s move also marks a reflection of the growing influence of ultra-Orthodox Jews and West Bank immigrants who have regularly clashed with the court. The removal of special rights and liberties for the community led ultra-Orthodox Jews to turn against the court. They, too, are angered by the frequent court shackling of settlers in their efforts to assert more power in the West Bank.
Netanyahu’s decision to go ahead with reform comes as he is under investigation and trial in corruption cases. Critics fear the weekend court will grant permission to enact the legislation. If so, the trial proceedings will be over. Naturally, the right-wing faction is against Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 after 38 years of occupation. Most of those trying to legislate against the court today are those who got involved in politics during the Gaza withdrawal.