Tel Aviv: Thousands of Israelis protested government judicial reforms in Tel Aviv late on Saturday, which they believe is an attack on democracy, reported AFP.
The 15th consecutive week of protest came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on 27 March announced a “pause” to allow for dialogue on the reforms which were moving through parliament and split the nation.
AFP reported that within a sea of Israeli flags waved by protesters, banners reading “Let’s save democracy” were seen.
Smaller demonstrations were also held outside Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s Modiin residence and in the northern port city of Haifa.
Tens of thousands turned out, according to Israeli media, like in prior demonstrations.
61-year-old Nadav Tamir told AFP, “We are fighting for our democracy. We have no other country.”
Karen Baron, a 45-year-old Tel Aviv psychiatrist, said: “I didn’t want to come today but my sister told me, ‘We have no choice’, and it’s true. We have no choice — we can’t lower our guard. We have to defend our country.”
The proposals would curtail the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges.
Netanyahu’s government, a coalition between his Likud party and extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues the changes are needed to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.
Saturday’s protest comes a day after US rating agency Moody’s revealed that Israel’s rating had been downgraded from “positive” to “stable.”
It stated that the change “reflects a deterioration in Israeli governance, as evidenced by recent events surrounding the government’s proposal to overhaul the country’s judiciary.”
Moody’s noted, “While mass protests have led the government to pause the legislation and seek dialogue with the opposition, the manner in which the government has attempted to implement a wide-ranging reform without seeking broad consensus points to a weakening of institutional strength and policy predictability.”
With inputs from agencies
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