New protests against Israel’s legal reform

New protests against Israels legal reform
full screen Demonstration in Tel Aviv on Saturday. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP/TT

For the 32nd weekend in a row, several thousand people demonstrated on Saturday night in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the government’s criticized judicial reform.

The protests took place in several cities in the country, the largest being in Tel Aviv where, according to the newspaper Haaretz, more than 10,000 people gathered. There, the demonstrators chanted “Democracy, democracy” and “We don’t give up”.

Part of a larger package of laws was passed by the Israeli Knesset parliament in July. The bill – which, among other things, involves restrictions on the Supreme Court’s power – is facing fierce criticism both within Israel and from the outside world.

Critics argue that the law undermines the independence of the judiciary and could lead to a more authoritarian regime.

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