Israeli Protests Erupt Over Proposed Supreme Court Curbs
TEL AVIV, July 11 – Israeli protesters took to the streets on Tuesday, blocking major highways and clashing with police, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition continued to push forward with a controversial bill aimed at limiting the power of the Supreme Court.
Flag-waving demonstrators disrupted morning traffic in intersections and highways across the country. Some protesters laid down on roads, while others threw flares, causing disruptions and chaos.
In Tel Aviv, police on horseback were deployed to handle the hundreds of demonstrators. In Jerusalem, officers resorted to using a water cannon to disperse some protestors, and others were forcefully dragged away.
Police reported that at least 42 people were arrested, and additional protests were planned for the day, including at the main international Ben Gurion airport.
Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition’s endeavor to reform the justice system has sparked unprecedented protests and raised concerns among Western allies about the state of Israel’s democracy, while also impacting the economy.
The proposed bill, which won its first of three required votes late on Monday, seeks to limit the Supreme Court’s ability to overturn decisions made by the government, ministers, and elected officials by deeming them unreasonable.
Critics argue that this judicial oversight is essential in preventing corruption and abuses of power. Conversely, proponents say that the change would facilitate effective governance by reducing court intervention, noting that judges have other legal means to exercise oversight.
Despite some members of Netanyahu’s Likud party suggesting that the bill may be watered down before the final vote, which is expected before the Knesset breaks for the summer on July 30, Simcha Rothman, the head of the Knesset Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee, expressed doubts about significant changes.
The government’s judicial campaign has divided Israeli society. Netanyahu had temporarily paused the endeavor for compromise talks with the opposition, but negotiations collapsed in June. The United States has urged Netanyahu to reach broad agreements on justice reforms to ensure the independence of Israel’s courts.
Netanyahu has not indicated a willingness to pause the legislation again and has downplayed the economic consequences of the campaign. However, it has unsettled investors and caused the shekel to weaken by almost 8% since January.
Arnon Bar-David, the head of Israel’s largest labor union, called on Netanyahu to reject what he described as extremism, stating, “Where are you taking the state of Israel? What legacy will you leave behind? End this crazy chaos.”
Reporting by Maayan Lubell, Dan Williams, and Steven Scheer; Writing by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Louise Heavens and William Maclean