Tens of thousands of Israelis — hoisting flags, blowing on horns and chanting “democracy” and “no to dictatorship”— protested outside the parliament building Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government formally launched a contentious plan to overhaul the country's legal system.
It was the largest protest outside the Knesset in years and reflected the deep divisions over the plan. The proposed changes have triggered weeks of mass demonstrations, drawn cries of protests from influential business leaders and former military men and even prompted a statement of concern from President Joe Biden.
Netanyahu and his supporters say the proposed changes are needed to rein in a judiciary that wields too much power. But his critics say the judicial overhaul is tantamount to a coup and will destroy Israeli democracy. They also say that Netanyahu, who is on trial for a series of corruption charges, has a conflict of interest.
In parliament, opposition lawmakers vocally protested the proposed reform to judge appointments ahead of a committee vote that would send the bill to the full parliament for a vote. During an unruly session, members of the opposition stood on the conference table, pounded the desks and shouted “shame!” as a key Netanyahu ally tried to hold the vote. Simha Rotman, a Religious Zionist lawmaker who chairs the committee, ejected several opposition politicians.
As the demonstration was winding down, Netanyahu issued a video accusing his political opponents of incitement and “deliberately dragging the country into anarchy.” “The people won't have it,” said Boaz Zarki, a demonstrator in Jerusalem. “The separation of authority is critical to the existence of democracy, and we need to do everything in our power to prevent” the changes from passing.At a joint press conference at the Knesset, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that opposition party leaders were united “against the targeted assassination of democracy.
The legislation approved in committee Monday would give Netanyahu's parliamentary majority the authority for appointing all of the country's judges — a step that critics say could pave the way for his trial to be dismissed. A second change would take away the Supreme Court's authority to review the legality of major pieces of legislation, known as Basic Laws.
المملكة العربية السعودية أحدث الأخبار, المملكة العربية السعودية عناوين
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