Israel: Mass Protests Outside Parliament Amid Judicial Reform Plans

Facts

• Thousands of Israelis protested outside the nation's Knesset — its state legislature — on Monday in opposition to the government's proposed judicial reform legislation that seeks to give lawmakers significantly more control over the Supreme Court.¹
• The reforms would give the government more power over judicial appointments, which are currently made by a committee of top jurists, as well as strip the Supreme Court of its authority to review 'Basic Laws' - Israel's quasi-constitution - that are approved by parliament.²
• At least 70K demonstrators rallied in Jerusalem as part of a nationwide strike to protest the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to impose the changes. Opposition leader Yair Lapid addressed the crowd, calling the movement 'the voice of hope.'³
• As protesters waved flags and banners outside, opposition members of Knesset (MKs) on the Law and Justice Committee chanted 'shame' and even jumped over tables to yell at coalition members, prompting security to remove them. The bill passed the committee vote and will now head to a first reading in the full Knesset.⁴
• Beyond weakening the system of checks and balances, critics also accuse Netanyahu — who has previously promised to go ahead with the reforms despite opposition — of seeking more power over the courts because he himself is being tried on corruption charges.⁵
• Israeli Pres. Isaac Herzog has warned that Israel is on the brink of social and constitutional collapse, as the country is rife with political turmoil. In a rare move, US Pres. Joe Biden has expressed his thoughts on the legislation, appearing to criticize the proposals.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Voa, ³The times of israel, ⁴CNN, ⁵Dw.com and ⁶BBC News.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by New statesman. This move by Netanyahu and his most extreme allies shows, despite a legitimate right-shift in the electorate, the prime minister actually has less control over his coalition than once thought. Facing scrutiny over bribery and fraud charges, the only way Netanyahu can maintain his power is by ripping apart Israel's long-standing democratic institutions and criminalizing judicial dissent. We are watching an authoritarian coup in real time.
• Right narrative, as provided by Jerusalem post. Despite the left arguing that these judicial reform plans threaten democracy, it is actually quite the contrary. The self-appointed Israeli Supreme Court has autocratic, unchecked powers that allow it to nullify and rewrite democratically-enacted laws and policies on the basis of subjective justifications. Therefore, this move is crucial to curb the court's undemocratic excesses and protect the rule of law.

Predictions