Israeli demonstrators have pushed ahead with protests against a strategy by the far-right administration to weaken the autonomy of the judicial branch, pushing back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he dismissed a compromise proposal from President Isaac Herzog that was implied to diffuse the crisis.
On Thursday, protesters in Jerusalem painted a red line along the streets heading to the Supreme Court of the nation. Additionally, a small fleet of boats was obstructing a shipping route off the coast of Haifa, a city in the north.
Despite weeks of large-scale demonstrations, strong opposition from all sectors of Israeli society, Herzog’s warnings that Israel was heading toward an “abyss,” and other warnings, Netanyahu and his allies were determined to move forward with their initial plan.
Israel is currently experiencing one of its worst internal crises as a result of the overhaul, which was promoted by a prime minister who is facing a corruption trial and the country’s most right-wing administration ever.Â
Top legal experts, business leaders who are concerned about the plan’s economic effects, and members of the nation’s most reputable institution, the military, have all expressed outrage over it. Reservists have vowed not to serve under what they perceive to be an impending regime change.
The plan, according to the government, will address a disparity between the judicial and executive departments that they claim has given the courts an excessive amount of influence over Israeli governance.
Critics contend that the reforms undermine the nation’s system of checks and balances, give the prime minister and the government excessive power, and deprive them of judicial supervision. They also claim that Netanyahu might be able to use the change as a way out of his legal problems.
Herzog had been speaking with actors from either side of the aisle for weeks in an effort to find a workable compromise, and his plan seemed to provide incentives for both sides.
Netanyahu, however, quickly rejected the proposal as he boarded a flight to Germany, claiming that it did not address the problem of branch balance. During Netanyahu’s official journey to Berlin, protests were also anticipated there.
In the midst of a political crisis over his ability to rule while on trial that sent Israelis to the elections five times in less than four years, the embattled Netanyahu, once a steadfast defender of the independence of the courts, returned to control late last year after serving as opposition leader for more than a year.
To limit the authority of the judiciary, he patched together a coalition with ultranationalist and ultraOrthodox allies. The court is seen as a barrier by those who favor West Bank communities in order to further their expansionist goals. Religious groups are also motivated to restrict the court’s authority to decide on issues that they believe could disturb their standards of life.
According to a statement from his office, the Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced he was canceling a trip to Panama and would instead fly to Israel on Wednesday night to oversee a legislative and diplomatic process regarding the planned judicial changes.
