Israel protest: Thousands of demonstrators take to streets as controversial judicial changes spark outrage

On Saturday, July 8, an anti-government protest in Israel led to the arrests of 71 people across the country. According to CNN, thousands of demonstrators protested against a bill that removed the power of the supreme court to review the decisions of ministers.

Members of the movement claimed that this is part of an effort to reduce the power of the judiciary, leading to more control for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies.

Trigger warning: This article concerns a political demonstration that featured violent clashes, the reader's discretion is advised

According to the Guardian, the recent protests in Israel have led to multiple clashes between demonstrators and police officers. The extensive protests have been widely covered, with demonstrators burning tires in the middle of the street, and attempting to glue themselves to the floor of the parliament building.

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Israel protests: Many reportedly suspicious that Netanyahu is trying to the suppress criminal charges against him

Israel's 2023 Judicial Reform protest officially began on January 7, 2023. Demonstrators claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies were undermining the judiciary so that they could override the Supreme Court's interpretation of Israel's laws in order to push a right-wing agenda.

As reported by the Atlantic, this has been seen by many people as a threat to the country's democratic order. As the protests continued over several months, Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly postponed implementing the new laws in March. However, he has since expressed his intention to go through with the new system.

The Associated Press reported that during the course of the protest, Tel Aviv police chief Ami Eshed was forced to resign. Eshed had reportedly been ordered to crack down violently on protestors, but refused to follow through with orders.

He allegedly had several disagreements with national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who publicly stated that authorities need to take harsher measures to suppress the demonstrations.

On Saturday, activists could be seen continuing to gather across Israel. Approximately 10,000 people gathered near the main terminal of Ben Gurion International Airport.

Demonstrators also obstructed a highway near the city of Modiin, and blocked roads across Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In response, authorities used water cannons to disperse the crowds.

According to Al Jazeera, many are suspicious of the proposed reforms as they believe Netanyahu may be trying to suppress criminal charges against him. The Prime Minister is currently on trial for crimes such as breach of trust, accepting bribes, and fraud.

However, in response to the protestors, Netanyahu's allies claimed that the unelected judges of the Supreme Court held too much power. Despite this, the reform policies indicated that the new system would allow the Prime Minister and his allies to personally pick the members of the Judiciary.