600,000 people demonstrate against Netanyahu’s judicial reform

Another day of mass protests in Israel against the judicial reform that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to implement. The reform, which was added this Saturday criticized within the Cabinet of the Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant. This demanded Netanyahu paralyze Al Qaeda, on a day when more than half a million people took to the streets of Israel to protest. “The deep division seeps into the military and defense institutions, and this is a clear, immediate and real danger to Israel’s security,” Gallant said in a brief televised statement.

According to the organizers, more than 630 thousand people They demonstrated in major cities of the country to protest the controversial judicial reform promoted by the government. Of the total, there are up to 300,000 that represent the largest bulky fill, ie Tel AvivAccording to the Israeli newspaper ‘Times of Israel’.

This is already the 12th consecutive week of protests against the judicial reform, which gives the government absolute control over the appointment of judges in the country. supreme court It prevents courts from overturning rules passed by Parliament. Final approval of the standard is expected next week. Netanyahu, under investigation for corruption, is pushing a law that would give him more influence in selecting judges.

The main novelty on Saturday was the announcement by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urging Netanyahu to paralyze the judicial reform process, a position supported by the Minister of Agriculture, Avi Dichter, which opens the first cracks in the government. The Israeli judiciary warned the prime minister that he could not interfere in the process of adopting the legislative change, as it would be “illegal”.

“More and more Israelis are waking up (…) We will not live under a dictatorship,” said Josh Drill, 26, a spokesman for one of the protest movements known as “The Umbrella”. Dozens of demonstrators jumped onto the Ayalon highway to block the road. Police used tear gas to disperse the protest and arrested 12 people. In addition to Tel Aviv, there were demonstrations in other cities, such as Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheba. On Route 65 in northern Israel, four more people were arrested for throwing flares while hundreds of people blocked the Karkur crossing.

The reform has drawn criticism both inside and outside the country. Israel’s main ally United State, had expressed “concern” about the reform. Netanyahu, who has so far kept a low profile on the issue, announced Thursday that he would push reform forward, but would do everything he could to “find a solution” acceptable to both the bill’s supporters and critics.