When the sun rose over Jerusalem, activists had formed a lengthy red line around roads leading to Israel’s Supreme Court. This comes hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a compromise for his government’s proposed judicial overhaul.
Five persons who organized and carried out the midnight demonstration have been detained.
Bright red paint was used to stencil “Drawing the line” in Hebrew, Arabic, and English along the route.
The hard-right government moves to restrict the Supreme Court’s power while increasing its own influence in nominating judges. This has sparked rising worry in Israel and abroad about the country’s democratic safeguards.
Protesters in Jerusalem poured red paint on the streets leading to Israel’s Supreme Court. It is defined as part of a “Day of Struggle” against judicial reform.
“Day of resistance”
Protesters in and around the commercial core of Tel Aviv engaged in a “day of resistance” by blocking roads. A small number of flag-waving activists on boats attempted to impede docking lanes at the Haifa port.
Renana Raz, a choreographer in Tel Aviv, stated, “We are here to protest our democracy, our nation. We think our country is under severe attack by the government, the Israeli government.”
Netanyahu, who departed late Wednesday for a state visit to Germany (one of the nations with reservations about the judiciary plan), indicated that a solution proposed by President Isaac Herzog would not restore the correct balance between the three branches of government.
His religious and nationalist allies have argued that the Supreme Court decides on matters that are not within its jurisdiction. Supporters of the court claim that it acts as a bulwark for democracy by protecting the individual rights of citizens.
The idea, which has not yet been signed into law, has been received with dire warnings from economists, legal experts, and former security officials who fear for the economic stability of the country and the international community’s opinion of Israel.
Netanyahu, who is now on trial for corruption charges he vehemently denies, claims that this will strengthen democracy and improve the economy. His alliance, which is pushing the amendments, hopes to gain the final approval of the plans from the parliament by April 2.
