Opponents of the right-wing government’s judicial overhaul poured into train stations in Israel on Tuesday as part of a “day of resistance” as the coalition pressed ahead with the controversial legislation, which opponents claim will undermine Israeli democracy.
As the flag-waving demonstrators, chanting pro-democracy slogans, crowded the platforms, police decided to close the stations in question and trains were ordered not to stop in the interests of public safety, causing considerable disruption during the evening rush hour.
In the evening large protests took place in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and other locations, and some of the protesters began a march from Tel Aviv to the parliament in Jerusalem, a distance of 66km.
Earlier in the day demonstrators blocked highways and intersections across the country. More than 40 people were arrested during Tuesday’s protests.
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The largest protest movement in Israel’s history is now in its 28th week, and hundreds of thousands of opponents of the government have taken to the streets. However, the coalition – made up of right-wing and religious parties – is determined to pass the first part of the legislation early next week, before the Israeli parliament begins its summer recess. The bill proposes to restrict the supreme court’s ability to review or throw out laws. Other measures are to follow in the coming months, such as giving the coalition control over the selection of judges and limiting the powers of ministerial legal advisers.
Tuesday’s protests took place as US president Joe Biden hosted his Israeli counterpart Yitzhak Herzog at the White House. Mr Herzog, considered a moderate, said he supports any effort that would bring a broad agreement and end the crisis engulfing the country after seven months of chaos.
“Israel is going through a heated debate as a society but that debate symbolises the wonderful democracy that exists in Israel”, which was “firm and determined”, he told Mr Biden. “We are going through difficulties, but I believe we always have to find a consensus solution.”
Mr Biden has declined to extend a similar invitation to prime minister Binyamin Mr Netanyahu and the administration has expressed concern over the judicial overhaul, illegal West Bank settlement expansion and statements by some of the more extreme Israeli ministers.
In a phone conversation on Monday night Mr Biden urged Mr Netanyahu to seek a broad consensus on the judicial reform. Mr Netanyahu promised to do so, but only after next week’s expected passage of the clause dealing with the court’s powers to review legislation. Protest leaders dismissed the statement as another empty promise by Mr Netanyahu.
Prominent business leaders announced that they have come to an agreement to shut down the economy unless a halt is called to the judicial legislation. Israeli doctors will hold a two-hour warning strike on Wednesday morning and are threatening a general strike if the judicial overhaul becomes law.
Most worrying for the government is the threat by military reservists, including 100 pilots and soldiers from key combat and intelligence units, to refuse call-up orders if the judicial overhaul proceeds.
