Protests Held in Israel After New Supreme Court Limitations

Crowds of protesters confronted the Israeli police at night following the controversial decision from the government to limit the powers of the Supreme Court. Implemented as part of a judicial reform package, the new measure will exist to prevent the court from countermanding parliament actions that it considers unreasonable. This could potentially include the protection of LGBTQ+ citizens in Israel.

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Protesters in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv say that the hard-right parliament’s reforms are a threat to the democracy of Israel. In response to these protests, Israeli police used water cannons to disperse crowds from blocking highways. At least 22 people have been arrested in protests outside the Knesset (parliament.)

Centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid intends to petition the Supreme Court to annul the new measure. The implementation of the new legislation is considered a significant victory for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite months of mass protests and criticism over the reform. The bill was approved by 64 votes to 0, following a boycott from the opposition in the final vote.

Netanyahu has insisted that the reform is necessary in order to allow the government to "carry out policy in line with the decision of the majority of the citizens of the country", but he conceded that he was willing to search for an all-inclusive agreement and resume talks with the opposition until November.

Thousands of military reservists, including air force pilots, have announced that they will not report for duty if the law is allowed to stand, as a general strike has been threatened by Israel's Histadrut trade union confederation. Opponents of the reform are anxious that these changes could undermine the country's democracy, leading to an authoritarian territory.

The government argues that the Supreme Court has increasingly intervened with their decision-making reforms and that the reform exists to correct a power imbalance, with Netanyahu insisting that the country was "in a state of national emergency".

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