Tens of thousands of people protested across Israel on Sunday night in a spontaneous show of anger at the decision by the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to fire his defence minister after the minister called for a pause to the government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary.
The plans have ignited months of demonstrations and been questioned by Israel’s top allies including the US.
What is the government proposing?
Among a raft of far-reaching proposals from Netanyahu’s government are plans to allow a simple majority of 61 in the 120-seat Knesset to override almost any supreme court rulings, and to allow politicians to appoint most of the justices to the bench.
The changes are spearheaded not by the prime minister but by his Likud colleague Yariv Levin, the justice minister, and the Religious Zionist MK Simcha Rothman, who chairs the Knesset’s law and justice committee.
Both men have a longstanding hatred of Israel’s supreme court, which they see as too powerful and as biased against the settler movement, Israel’s ultra-religious community, and the Mizrahi population, Jewish people of Middle Eastern origin. In particular, many on the Israeli right have never forgiven the court for decisions related to Israel’s unilateral withdraw from the Gaza Strip in 2005.
It is not lost on anyone that the measures could help Netanyahu evade prosecution in his corruption trial. He denies all charges.
Why is this happening now?
Netanyahu’s trial triggered four years of political crisis in which Israel was split over whether he was fit to lead the country. After five elections since 2019, in which politicians on both sides failed to form stable governments, a bloc of extremist and religious parties headed by Netanyahu’s Likud won a clear majority in elections last November, and went on to form the most rightwing administration in Israeli history.
Full annexation of the occupied West Bank, a rollback of pro-LGBTQ+ legislation, axing laws protecting women’s rights and minority rights, and a loosening of the rules of engagement for Israeli police and soldiers, are all on the coalition’s agenda.
What do critics of the measures say?
Israel’s supreme court plays an outsized checks-and-balances role as the country does not have a formal constitution or second legislative chamber.
Worries that the proposals will result in an erosion of democratic norms and the rule of law have sparked the biggest protest movement in Israeli history, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets in various cities, demonstrations held outside the Knesset in Jerusalem, and several “days of disruption” in which protesters have blocked highways and Tel Aviv airport. In recent weeks, the protests have become more violent, and dozens of arrests have been made.
The movement is largely leaderless, but significant and unexpected pressure is coming from military reservists and Israel’s vitally important tech sector. Internationally, many of Israel’s allies have expressed alarm over the direction in which the country is heading.
What happens next?
Attempts at compromise brokered by the president, Isaac Herzog, have been shot down by the government as not workable, but a high-profile call for a freeze to the legislation on 26 March by the defence minister, Yoav Galant, appears to have changed the equation. Netanyahu quickly fired Galant over his opposition to the proposals, sparking one of the most dramatic nights in Israeli history as people took to the streets all over the country.
Although Israeli media have reported that Netanyahu would be willing to cut a deal, until now the prime minister has appeared to be a hostage to his far-right partners, who could bring down the government if their demands are not met. Netanyahu could instead try to form a coalition with opposition parties, but most are wary of trusting him.
Other members of the coalition have reiterated their determination to pass the most important parts of the legislation before the Knesset breaks up for the Passover holiday on 2 April.
If the plans for the judiciary go ahead in their current form, Israel is likely to face an unprecedented constitutional crisis in which the supreme court could strike down all or parts of the legislation designed to curb its powers, and the government could choose not to comply.
For Palestinians, the prospect of a bolder and more hostile Israeli government has added to fears of a return to full-blown conflict, while Iran and other enemies are closely following what they see as internal weakness.
