Israel has one of the largest demonstrations ever.

March 12, 2023



(CNN) βΈ»

Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have rallied against government plans to overhaul the judicial system, in what organisers say are the biggest street protests in the country's history. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the changes will restore balance between the branches of government, but opponents say they threaten democracy. On Saturday, 500,000 demonstrators took to the streets across Israel, including 200,000 in Tel Aviv. Protesters applauded police chief Amichai Eshed as he walked through the rally. In a separate development, Israeli troops shot dead three armed Palestinians near the West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday. Palestinian officials have not commented on the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to give the elected government decisive influence over the choice of judges and limit the ability of the Supreme Court to rule against the executive or strike down legislation have caused deep divides in Israeli society. On Saturday, a record crowd of 50,000 marched in Haifa, in what was the 10th consecutive week of nationwide protests against the government plans. Last Monday, dozens of reserve fighter pilots in an elite Israeli Air Force squadron said they would not report for training. On Thursday, protesters blocked roads and attempted to stop Mr Netanyahu flying out of the country. The government has stood firm in the face of the uproar, claiming the protests are being fuelled by political opponents. Mr Netanyahu says the reforms are designed to stop the courts overreaching their powers and that they were voted for by the Israeli public at the last election.

Israel Demonstrations Benjamin-netanyahu -judicial-system

Comments

Related news


Turkey's high-stakes election has begun.

Read more

Hundreds of missiles launched towards Israel in response to deadly IDF airstrikes in Gaza

Read more

Israel has one of the largest demonstrations ever.

Read more

Due to the attack on the Kremlin by Ukraine, Russia has issued a warning.

Read more

A spokesperson for Palestine accuses Israel of encouraging the cycle of violence.

Read more

The French government imposes a later retirement age, triggering new demonstrations.

Read more

How does the normalisation of Saudi Arabia and Iran, mediated by China, impact Israel?

Read more

According to Netanyahu, CNN Despite judiciary plans, Israel will remain a "robust democracy."

Read more

The White House claims that it has "seen no evidence" that Egypt is giving Moscow access to deadly weapons.

Read more

Netanyahu: Israel's adversaries will "pay a price"

Read more