Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed by a few months his government’s plan to limit the powers of the country’s judiciary. The pause came in response to massive protests that raged across the country and a one-day general strike that shut down much of the economy. Netanyahu said he aimed to pull Israelis back from the brink of a civil war.
(Bloomberg) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has delayed by a few months his government’s plan to limit the powers of the country’s judiciary. The pause came in response to massive protests that raged across the country and a one-day general strike that shut down much of the economy. Netanyahu said he aimed to pull Israelis back from the brink of a civil war.
What is happening in Israel?
Hundreds of thousands of people — mostly secular Israelis in the center and on the left — have held weekly protests since January against the right-wing government’s attempt to reduce the power of the judicial system. The mostly peaceful demonstrations have been backed by Israel’s business and technology establishment and spread to the military, with numerous reservists warning they would withhold service if the government undercuts the judicial system. After the defense minister, a member of Netanyahu’s party, warned in a speech that the public divide could harm Israel’s national security, the prime minister fired him in a shock move. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets that night in a spontaneous demonstration, universities canceled classes to let students demonstrate, and Israel’s main labor federation called a one-day general strike for the next day. The strike shut down businesses and universities and stopped international departures at the main airport.
What are the Israel protests about?
The demonstrations have centered around the government’s insistence on changing the judiciary. Supporters of the plan argue that since Israel has no constitution, the Supreme Court has become overly interventionist over the decades, such that judges are usurping powers that rightfully belong to elected officials. They also seek to give the government greater control over the appointment of judges, an arrangement they argue is typical in a democracy. Critics say that the legislation, if passed, would erode Israel’s democratic character, damage its economy, and send international investors in Israel’s successful tech industry fleeing. They fear that far-right and religious parties in the government could capitalize on a weakened judiciary to advance religious policies or undermine human rights, since those protections have traditionally been safeguarded by the Supreme Court — a last bastion of progressivism in Israel as the right has triumphed politically.
What are the judicial changes being proposed?
A centerpiece of the overhaul, which is divided into many bills, seeks to give politicians the dominant role in selecting judges. Other proposed changes would allow Israel’s Knesset to override rulings by the Supreme Court, limit judicial review of laws, and restrict the powers of legal advisers in the parliament and government. The Knesset has already passed a law saying that a prime minister can only be removed from office and declared unfit for mental or health reasons. That law would eliminate any effort to use Netanyahu’s legal problems — he faces a long-running corruption trial — as the basis of his removal from office.
What did Benjamin Netanyahu say in his speech?
Netanyahu said he would seek talks with the political opposition to try to reach a compromise. He acknowledged that the judicial plan was tearing the country apart. “When there is a chance to avoid a civil war through dialog, I, as prime minister, will take a pause for dialog,” he said. The negotiations are expected to push off the votes by at least four weeks and as much as several months.
Is the Israel airport closed?
No. The general strike ended and the airport resumed full operations. As of March 28, there are no travel restrictions, which should be good news for people planning visits to the Holy Land for Easter, which falls on April 9 this year, or Passover, which runs from the evening of April 5 through the evening of April 13.
Is it safe to go to Israel now?
Yes, generally speaking. A US State Department travel advisory, issued March 7, recommends visitors to Israel and the West Bank “exercise increased caution due to terrorism and civil unrest,” and avoid traveling to Gaza entirely.
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