Reform of Israeli Judicial System Sparks Mass Protest

Moscow, March 25 – Hundreds of thousands of people across Israel have taken to the streets to protest judicial reform, according to The Times of Israel.

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took part in nationwide protests Saturday night.

Israelis oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government reforming the judiciary for the twelfth week in a row.

The proposed bill would limit the influence of the Supreme Court over the process of adopting basic laws, allow parliamentarians to challenge Supreme Court decisions, and give the government control over the procedure for appointing judges.

Earlier Saturday night, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant called for a halt to judicial reform of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government amid social divisions and protests across the country. Gallant became the first key minister in Netanyahu’s government to publicly call for suspending reform.

Earlier, the organizers of the protest movement against judicial reform in Israel declared a “week of paralysis”, which means large-scale protests throughout the country.