Israel’s anti-government protest movement shifted into high gear on Tuesday, hoping to stop Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from proceeding with a law that will reduce the oversight power of the judicial system.
(Bloomberg) — Israel’s anti-government protest movement shifted into high gear on Tuesday, hoping to stop Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from proceeding with a law that will reduce the oversight power of the judicial system.
Protesters marched into the Tel Aviv stock exchange before trading started, distributing fake currency and holding signs saying “save our startup nation.” Trading wasn’t disrupted.
On Monday, the shekel was the second-worst performer among a basket of expanded major currencies tracked by Bloomberg.
The surge in demonstrations, dubbed the “Day of Resistance” by protest leaders, came on the heels of a call between Netanyahu and President Joe Biden, who has criticized Israel’s cabinet ministers as being extremist.
The organized rallies were savvy marketing but didn’t seem likely to halt most of the nation’s activities. After demonstrators at the Tel Aviv stock market dispersed, trading would go on as usual, officials said.
Protesters also said they would gather at major commuter train platforms during rush hour in the afternoon.
Major highways were blocked by people who set up tent camps or sat down, while morning prayer sessions were held outside top officials’ homes. Protesters also targeted the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv.
From north to south, national monuments were decorated with banners declaring that the country was at risk of losing its soul — and its economic prowess. The protests have been supported by the nation’s economic and military elite, who consider the government’s policies a threat to democracy.
“This is not what I meant!” declared a banner that hung north of Tel Aviv near an image of Theodor Herzl, the founding theorist of Zionism.
“Netanyahu is dividing the nation!” read another on a highway overpass. Soldiers’ boots were hanging by their laces on a wire outside a military base, along with the sign: “No Further!”
Months of Division
The rift in the country opened in December after Netanyahu’s coalition announced a plan to overhaul the liberal-leaning court system.
The government and its supporters say that the electorate has spoken. They say the court system is packed with liberals, left over from a day when judges were chosen by one another.
Israel’s business and professional establishments say that the combination of a religious, nationalist government and a weakened judiciary will ruin Israel’s well-earned reputation as a high-tech haven and magnet for international investments. They also warn that the government’s policies will make it a less-attractive place to live and work — and they themselves might want to leave.
Netanyahu’s coalition initially sought a massive overhaul, but paused after protests flared up in March. There were also concerns that Israel’s external enemies, led by Iran, were encouraged by the divisions.
That led to negotiations between the government and the opposition that fell apart last month. The government has now started with a single major bill — to remove from judges their ability to declare a law or appointment “unreasonable.” The bill has passed its first parliamentary reading and is scheduled to become final in the next week or two.
That spurred the protest movement to step up its activities. Among them are threats by top military reservists to withhold service, something that is an especially dire possibility in a country that has taken pride in unity against external threats.
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