Protests have entered its fifth week...
On Saturday (February 4), anti-government protests in Israel against controversial legal reforms continued for the fifth week, with thousands of demonstrators braving the rain and swarming Tev Avis’s Kaplan Street with signs criticizing the establishment. The government was labelled as a “threat to world peace” on one sign, and "Save Israel’s democracy from Netahanyu” on another, according to AFP.
Protests were held in 20 cities across Israel and tens of thousands gathered in Tel Aviv alone, as per local media. However, the official turnout figures are not out yet. Protesters, meanwhile, pointed out that the new reforms of the government would threaten democratic checks and balances on ministers by the courts. They also accused Netanyahu of trying to escape a legal case against him, the news agency Reuters reported.
The judicial reforms by the current government would enable the parliament to overrule any Supreme Court decision with a simple majority of 61 lawmakers in the 120-seat body. These proposed reforms would also change the system through which judges are appointed, giving politicians more control.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid took part in the Hafia protests and said “We came to protest alongside those who came to save their country. . . We came to protest because we cannot live in an undemocratic state.” Prime Minister Netanyahu has condemned the protests, describing them as opposition leaders' refusal to accept the results of the November election.
The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now.