After a grueling 5-day trek that started in Tel Aviv, an estimated 20,000 Israeli citizens passionately marched into Jerusalem on July 22, 2023, protesting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s proposal to reduce the Israeli Supreme Court’s power over government decisions.
The proposal in question will prevent the court from having the authority to override the government if they deem their decisions “unreasonable” (NPR). In a speech delivered on July 20, 2023, Netanyahu explained his reasoning, stating that in the past, government officials and Supreme Court judges were unbalanced. Since the government leaders are elected to office and the judges are not, passing this law would supposedly allow for more policies that resonate with the majority of voters.
However, many have said these laws would effectively decimate Israel’s democracy. 31-year-old protestor, Navot Silberstein, shared with The New York Times that he is marching in Jerusalem because the government is “trying to turn [Israel] into a dictatorship,” vocalizing that he refuses to live in a country that overexerts its power (New York Times).
These marchers are simply a fraction of the civilians who disagree with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision. Around 10,000 Israeli soldiers have declared that if this law passed, they would step down from the military, raising concerns for the country’s line of defense. As a result, hundreds of former Israeli military commanders, police officers, and other security leaders have banded together, signing a letter chastising Netanyahu for jeopardizing the safety of the Israeli citizens. They wrote in the letter, “The legislation is crushing those things shared by Israeli society, is tearing the people apart, disintegrating the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), and inflicting fatal blows on Israel’s security.” In response, government official Israel Katz simply stated that “the bill would pass one way or another” (NPR).
On Monday, July 24, 2023, after a unanimous vote of 64-0, the Israeli government passed the bill.
Sources:
– Huge Protest March Reaches Jerusalem After 5-Day Trek From Tel Aviv – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
– Tens of thousands march to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv to protest Israel’s judicial overhaul (yahoo.com)
– Hundreds of thousands march in Israel against Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul: NPR
– Israel is in turmoil after judicial overhaul vote. What now? (nbcnews.com)
The proposal in question will prevent the court from having the authority to override the government if they deem their decisions “unreasonable” (NPR). In a speech delivered on July 20, 2023, Netanyahu explained his reasoning, stating that in the past, government officials and Supreme Court judges were unbalanced. Since the government leaders are elected to office and the judges are not, passing this law would supposedly allow for more policies that resonate with the majority of voters.
However, many have said these laws would effectively decimate Israel’s democracy. 31-year-old protestor, Navot Silberstein, shared with The New York Times that he is marching in Jerusalem because the government is “trying to turn [Israel] into a dictatorship,” vocalizing that he refuses to live in a country that overexerts its power (New York Times).
These marchers are simply a fraction of the civilians who disagree with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s decision. Around 10,000 Israeli soldiers have declared that if this law passed, they would step down from the military, raising concerns for the country’s line of defense. As a result, hundreds of former Israeli military commanders, police officers, and other security leaders have banded together, signing a letter chastising Netanyahu for jeopardizing the safety of the Israeli citizens. They wrote in the letter, “The legislation is crushing those things shared by Israeli society, is tearing the people apart, disintegrating the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), and inflicting fatal blows on Israel’s security.” In response, government official Israel Katz simply stated that “the bill would pass one way or another” (NPR).
On Monday, July 24, 2023, after a unanimous vote of 64-0, the Israeli government passed the bill.
Sources:
– Huge Protest March Reaches Jerusalem After 5-Day Trek From Tel Aviv – The New York Times (nytimes.com)
– Tens of thousands march to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv to protest Israel’s judicial overhaul (yahoo.com)
– Hundreds of thousands march in Israel against Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul: NPR
– Israel is in turmoil after judicial overhaul vote. What now? (nbcnews.com)
