Despite heightened security concerns following two deadly attacks a day earlier, tens of thousands of Israelis joined protests on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to tighten controls on the Supreme Court. The protests are the latest in a series against the plans, which were paused last month due to mass demonstrations and strikes. Netanyahu has ordered the army to reinforce security positions and mobilized border police reservists to prevent any possible trouble. Israelis are currently on edge after a car-ramming in Tel Aviv on Friday, which killed an Italian man and wounded five other tourists, and a gun attack that killed two Israeli sisters and injured their mother near an occupied West Bank settlement.
The proposed changes would allow the government effective control over the appointment of Supreme Court judges and permit the parliament to overrule many decisions of the court. The overhaul has created one of the biggest domestic crises in Israel’s recent history. Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, including army reservists, business leaders, members of Israel’s tech industry, and leading academics, have taken part, facing off against supporters of Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist coalition. The government side claims the overhaul is necessary to restore a proper balance between the judiciary and elected politicians, as activist judges are accused of usurping the role of parliament. Critics argue that it will eliminate some of the essential checks and balances underpinning a democratic state and grant unchecked power to the government.
The protests began with a prayer for the victims of the previous day’s attacks, but protesters made it clear that they would not be deterred by security worries. The demonstration took place in central Tel Aviv, with crowds waving Israeli flags and gathering in a display of defiance against the plans they see as a threat to Israeli democracy.