Thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday against a controversial plan to reform the country’s legal system, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponing the changes earlier in the week.
Demonstrators raised Israeli flags and banners in Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial hub on the Mediterranean, for a 13-week demonstration against what they said were plans to undermine the Supreme Court. Several smaller rallies took place in other towns and cities. Protests have continued since the changes were introduced by Netanyahu’s government, the most right-wing in the country’s history.
But on Monday, Netanyahu delayed the overhaul plan that has deeply divided Israelis, saying he wanted to avoid civil war by taking the time to reach compromises with political opponents. However, protest organisers vowed to keep up the pressure, demanding the plans be scrapped.
The proposal plunges Israel into its worst domestic crisis in decades. Business leaders, top economists, and former security chiefs have all come out against the plan, saying it is pushing the country towards autocracy. Fighter pilots and military reservists have threatened not to report for duty, and the country’s currency, the shekel, has plummeted in value.
The plan would give Netanyahu, who is standing trial on corruption charges, and his aides the final say in appointing the nation’s judges. It would also give the parliament, which is controlled by its allies, the right to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the court’s ability to review laws.
Netanyahu has argued that the overhaul is needed to rein in a liberal and overly intrusive court of unelected judges. But his opponents say the package would damage the country’s system of checks and balances by concentrating power in the hands of Netanyahu’s allies. He also says he has a conflict of interest as a criminal defendant.
