Israelis take to streets for 18th week in row

Tens of thousands of protesters rallied across Israel last Saturday for the 18th week in a row against the government’s plans to overhaul the judicial system, seeking to maintain a vocal opposition to the currently paused legislative proposals amid ongoing negotiations to reach a broad consensus for reform.

The main demonstration was held in Tel Aviv, which opened with the singing of Hatikvah. Hebrew media outlets estimated turnout at 100,000-180,000.

“We must understand the threat hasn’t been removed and looms over us … because if we blink for a moment they’ll exploit the opportunity,” former minister Tzipi Livni told the protesters, referring to the frozen legislation.

Rallies were also held in other locations throughout the country, including some 7000 near the President’s Residence in Jerusalem, where the overhaul compromise talks are being held.

“We’ll leave no stone unturned to see if there’s a chance to reach a historic agreement that will be with us for a hundred years into the future, but we won’t let them just stall for time to save their government,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said at a protest in Rehovot.

“This government needs to take all the bills off the Knesset table and to understand: There won’t be a situation in which the coalition chooses judges for itself. This won’t happen, not on our watch.”

National Unity chief Benny Gantz told demonstrators in Netanya he hoped for progress in the negotiations but that he’ll “re-evaluate” if there’s not.

“I’m not willing to be satisfied with [only] dialogue, even though I was the first to call for it. I want to see progress toward a solution,” he said.

Ahead of the demonstrations, organisers said the discussions were “a plot by [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to waste time in order to pass a budget”.

If a resolution is not reached in the coming days, they called on Lapid and Gantz to exit the negotiations.

Saturday night’s protests came after organisers held a “day of equality” last Thursday that saw protesters carry out acts of civil disobedience, including blocking major highways, around the country. Activists also staged demonstrations outside the homes of prominent cabinet ministers as well as offices of state religious institutions.

The government’s planned judicial overhaul has sparked widespread opposition across Israel, with senior legal, security, and economic figures warning the move will undermine democracy by removing the system of checks and balances, and as such will harm the country’s security and economy. Proponents argue they are defending democracy by reining in an activist court.

Also last Saturday, Ra’am MK Mansour Abbas – whose Islamist party was part of the last coalition – denied a report that he could back the proposed judicial changes in exchange for funding for Arab communities.

The comments came after Channel 12 reported Justice Minister Yariv Levin was holding talks with Abbas in an effort to enlist him as a “safety net” in case the compromise talks don’t lead to a negotiated reform package.

Meanwhile, US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other members of a Democratic congressional delegation reportedly told Netanyahu during a meeting in Jerusalem last week that the government’s judicial overhaul plans make it harder for their party to continue defending the Jewish State in Washington.

They said the temporarily paused overhaul had created a lot of negative “noise” about Israel among their constituents, Axios reported.

“They told Netanyahu it is very difficult for them to defend Israel under such circumstances, and their message was: help us help you,” one source who was present at the meeting was quoted as saying. Netanyahu’s and Jeffries’ offices both declined to comment on the report.

Israeli polls are continuing to show a significant drop in support for the ruling coalition, with multiple surveys indicating that if national elections were held today, Likud and its far-right and ultra-Orthodox partners would not be able to form government.

According to the latest polls on Channel 12 and Channel 13 on Sunday, the coalition would win 52 Knesset seats, down from 64 seats. The opposition bloc parties would garner 63 seats for a slim majority, according to the surveys.

The National Unity party headed by key opposition figure Benny Gantz would come out the strongest with 29 seats.

Gantz has sought to set a unifying tone amid the societal upheaval caused by the government’s judicial overhaul effort. Though he and his party are firmly opposed to the current plan, they have also acknowledged a need for reform and are broadly seen as more open to compromise than other opposition parties.

TIMES OF ISRAEL