More mass protests in Israel against Netanyahu’s project to “democratize justice”

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets again on Saturday Tel Aviv and other cities in Israel to protest Against the project of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to reform justiceWhich the opposition considers an attempt by the Prime Minister “Turning the country into an authoritarian rule, managing the appointment of judges, including Supreme Court justices.”

In the face of this popular rejection, That this Saturday came to gather 450 thousand people in the streets and the police had to suppress dozens of arrests, Netanyahu said this week that “there will be a legislative pause to give dialogue a chance,” but tensions flared again this weekend. With the resignation of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who was a member of the right-wing government opposed to reform.

Although there are contacts between representatives of the majority and two of the main opposition parties, analysts are skeptical that an agreement can be reached.

The Netanyahu government is defending that reform It will restore the balance of power. Reducing the powers of the Supreme Court, which he considers Netanyahu’s chief executive politicized In favor of parliament.

Netanyahu’s opponents consider that the president wants to maintain his control over justice, to expand his power by limiting democratic guarantees. The reform aims to give the government complete control over the appointment of judges, including Supreme Court justices.

The crisis takes place three months after the inauguration of Netanyahu’s national-religious coalition, which contains deep disagreements on the issue within its own framework. The fact that Netanyahu is being tried on corruption charges, which he has systematically denied, adds another controversial point, because there are those who consider that he wants to advance justice precisely because of those processes that are taking place against him.

For his part, the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, is trying to mediate between the government and the opposition forces to reach a consensual settlement on the judicial issue, but these attempts have so far been unsuccessful.

So About 450 thousand citizens demonstrated on Saturday in different cities of the country, Although the most popular were recorded in Tel Aviv, where about twenty people were arrested, and in Haifa.

AFP/NA/HB