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About our Protests in Israel news
Latest news on protests in Israel, with coverage on any demonstrations or political unrest in the Middle Eastern country of Israel.
In 2023, large-scale protests took place across Israel over the government's plans to overhaul the judicial system. The proposed reforms would limit the Supreme Court's powers to rule against the legislature and the executive, while giving more influence to the ruling coalition in appointing judges. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges that he denies, says the changes are necessary to balance and diversify the judiciary. However, critics say the reforms would weaken the courts and endanger democracy and human right.
The protests have drawn hundreds of thousands of people from different sectors of Israeli society, including military reservists, trade unions, civil society groups, opposition parties and ordinary citizens. They have also caused divisions within Netanyahu's coalition, with some parties expressing reservations or opposition to the reforms. On 27 March 2023, Netanyahu announced that he would delay the reforms until the next parliamentary session, saying he was not ready to divide the nation in pieces. The delay was welcomed by some as a sign of compromise, but others remained sceptical and vowed to continue their resistance until the reforms are scrapped.
On October 7, 2023, a majority of protests were cancelled due to the onset of the war in Gaza. Some demonstrations would continue until October 12 when the opposition party National Unity joined the Israeli emergency wartime government. As part of the deal, all new non-emergency legislation, including judicial reform, was frozen.