Image: JACK GUEZ (AFP)
In the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv, numerous people marched through the streets with blue and white Israeli flags. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak warned of an impending coup in a speech. If the controversial reform progresses, one must switch to non-violent resistance, he demanded at the rally.
The protest took place on the eighth Saturday night in a row. Protests also erupted again in other major cities such as Jerusalem and Haifa. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meanwhile rejected media reports that he had called for action to be taken “with the fist” against the demonstrators. Rather, he meant that lying arguments had to be thrown off, he wrote on Twitter.
According to plans by Netanyahu’s right-wing religious government, parliament should in future be able to overturn decisions of the Supreme Court with a simple majority. In addition, politicians should be given more influence in the appointment of judges. The legislative proposal, which includes numerous other far-reaching changes, could also play into Netanyahu’s hands in the corruption process currently being carried out against him.
Critics see the democratic separation of powers in danger and warn that the country could turn into a dictatorship. The government, on the other hand, argues that the Supreme Court currently wields too much political influence. Because Israel does not have a written constitution and the state is based on a collection of basic laws, the Supreme Court is of particular importance in upholding the rule of law and human rights.
Source: Nachrichten
