Tens of thousands of Israelis protested in central Tel Aviv on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court, despite heightened security concerns after two attacks in Tel Aviv and the West Bank on Friday. 3 people were killed and many were injured.
Today’s demonstrations include a series of protests against plans suspended last month in the face of a wave of strikes and mass demonstrations, at a time when Israel faces heightened tensions on several fronts during Ramadan.
Demonstrators said security concerns would not stop them from protesting, and some demonstrators marched dressed in black and carrying banners reading “Dictator’s Wrath Forces”.
Israeli news website Walla reported that organizers estimated the number of participants in the Tel Aviv demonstration at 145,000.
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and “Yedioth Ahronoth” newspaper, thousands also demonstrated in Haifa (north), Jerusalem (center) and Beersheba (south), rejecting the plan for judicial reforms.
The judicial reforms sought by the Netanyahu government would give the government effective control over the appointment of Supreme Court judges, allow many court rulings to be overruled by a majority in parliament and give the government coalition control over the Judicial Appointments Committee.
The prosecution argues that the judicial reforms are necessary to restore the proper balance between the judiciary and elected politicians, while opponents of the reforms say they would “remove some of the fundamental checks and balances on which democratic government is based and provide absolutes”. Authority to Government.”
Under the weight of strikes and mass demonstrations, Netanyahu announced at the end of March that he would suspend his plan for judicial reforms until the 3-month summer session of the Knesset (parliament), which begins on April 30. held with the opposition, but said he would not abandon the project.
Immediately after suspending the plan for judicial reforms, Israeli President Isaac Herzog announced the opening of dialogue sessions between the governing and opposition coalition parties.
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