Israel: Protesters Stage Fiery Rally Against Judicial Overhaul

On Tuesday, hundreds of Israelis staged a fiery rally outside Justice Minister Yariv Levin’s home, joining protesters nationwide in their opposition against the government’s contentious judicial overhaul plan, which resumed earlier this week.

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The protesters torched tires and used them to block the traffic around the home of Levin, the architect of the controversial legislation that aims to strip the Supreme Court of much of its power. At least six people were arrested for disruption of public order.

“Brothers in Arms,” a group of reservists who oppose the judicial overhaul, said “hundreds” attended the rally in front of Levin’s home in Modi’in, a suburb of Jerusalem.

Video footages sent by the group show fire and clouds of black smoke in the street of the residential neighborhood and protesters sitting on the ground, trying to block the road.

In March, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu temporarily halted the judicial drive in order to facilitate compromise talks with opposition parties.

However, last week he declared the talks to have failed in reaching an understanding and resumed the legislative process of certain bills, prompting protest leaders to announce an escalation in the nationwide demonstrations.

On Monday, about 300 Israeli military doctors in reserve units told Defense Minister Yoav Gallant they will not turn up for duty if the government pursues the overhaul legislation.

The physicians declared that they would be unable to continue volunteering for service due to the government’s “violation of the fundamental contract” between the citizens and the state.

“If there are no gatekeepers and there is no effective judicial review, we will not be able to trust our commanders when we are sent to military missions. We won’t serve a dictatorship,” the physicians stressed.

The overhaul is being pushed forward by the coalition government, the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. Netanyahu says that the overhaul is needed to balance the overly activist Supreme Court. 

Opponents say the plan will weaken the entire legal system and undermine the rule of law. On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took part in anti-overhaul rallies across the country for a 25th consecutive week.

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