Israel has one of the largest demonstrations ever.
March 12, 2023Tweet
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.
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