Protesters fill the platform at the train station in Herzliya
(Video: Moshe Schiff)
Protests against legislation to curb judicial oversight of the government continue ahead of the final vote, with protesters on Tuesday evening focusing on Tel Aviv, demonstrating in front of the US Embassy building and gathering on Kaplan Street, where the weekly Saturday night demonstrations are held.At least 37 people have been arrested so far during the protests.
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Judicial overhaul protest leader Shikma Bressler announced on Twitter that she will leave Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv this evening for a protest march to Jerusalem. "In the face of the progress of the legislation, the time has come to create a move that breaks the standoff. In the face of a government that is deliberately tearing the people apart, we will rebuild a nation out of this tremendous rift. We have no choice. We are leaving this evening at 8:30 p.m. from Kaplan Street, meeting at the new sign for Democracy Square. This will take a few days, we need you," she said.
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Police use water cannons in efforts to remove protesters from the Jerusalem highway on Tuesday
(Photo: AP )
At the same time, Justice Minister Yariv Levin called on supporters of the judicial overhaul to come to a support rally on Sunday, and said that “our votes are equal to that of others in Israel. We are fixing things, and doing so responsibly, but we have to make a big change to the judiciary.”
Late Tuesday afternoon the demonstrators converged on train stations throughout the country leading to the closing of several stations. Meanwhile, according to reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was holding talks Tuesday in order to change the wording of the law and remove some of its more controversial aspects.
Police officers physically blocked protesters from getting down to the platform at some of the stations, including in Tel Aviv. In Lod, protesters were prevented from entering the station itself. Protesters in cities including Haifa, Be'er Sheva and Binyamin filled the train station and platforms waving flags and blowing air horns. Protesters also gathered at the train station in Herzliya. Later, police closed the entrances to the Tel Aviv HaShalom, Lod, Binyamina and HaCarmel train stations due to the crowds of protesters. Six protesters were arrested at the Tel Aviv station for allegedly attempting to prevent a train from leaving the station.
The Kaplan Force protest group in a message to protesters called on them to purchase tickets so that they can demonstrate on the train platform.
"We ask all the protesters at the train stations to buy the cheapest ticket, nine shekels, and enter to demonstrate at the platforms. No one is allowed to prevent those who have bought a ticket from entering the platform! It appears that the police are trying to prevent protesters from exercising their right to demonstrate at the stations without authority. That's why we call on everyone – come! Without violence, everything according to the law."
Meanwhile, the Israel Police announced that the forces in the field are instructed not to allow the protesters to descend on the train platforms. "This is a clear threat to life and our job is to protect the safety and security of the citizens. We call on the protesters to act responsibly and obey the orders of the police officers in the field. The police act in the necessary proportionality, while maintaining a proper balance between freedom of expression and protest to maintain public order. If the limits of the law are breached – the police will be forced to restore order by all the means at its disposal," police said in a statement.
President Isaac Herzog, who landed in the U.S. Tuesday afternoon, said he supports any effort that would bring to a broad agreement and end the crisis engulfing the country after seven months of mass demonstrations, and as reservists serving in elite units of the IDF have said they would no longer volunteer in the service of a non-democratic regime.
"There are serious discussions underway," Likud member and Netanyahu ally Katrin (Keti) Shitrit told Ynet in an interview. "I would not call it softening the bill but I belive an agreed wording would be found."
Law professor Yuval Elbashan who was involved in the negotiations on the Judicial overhaul conducted earlier this year said there is progress at the highest levels. "Talks were taking place including last night. I cannot say what will be the outcome but the current bill is bad, full stop," he said adding he knows that the coalition would be willing to compromise but cannot say the same for the opposition.
Earlier, Protesters blocked the entrance to the Israeli stock exchange early on Tuesday, carrying signs indicating the damage already caused to the economy amid the coalition's push for a judicial overhaul.
"The government's efforts to change Israeli democracy has pushed investors away, destroyed the hi-tech industry and is whipping out our pensions, Dror Selee, a tech entrepreneur and activist in the hi-tech protest movement said. "This government of destruction ignores all warning signs and is turning Israel into a pariah and impoverished dictatorship that will leave all of us without security, jobs and income."
The protesters began another day of disruption with the highway between Haifa and Tel Aviv blocked intermittently and protests held around the country. Some 200 women demonstrated outside the Rabbinical Court in Haifa while others marched in Tel Aviv calling for the legislative push to be stopped. Protests are scheduled throughout the day including planned disruptions to train travel during the day and mass rallies in the evening.
Protests in Haifa
(Elior El Hai)
Meanwhile, the Knesset was preparing to begin a marathon session in the Constitution, Law Justice Committee ending with a final vote on the bill that would curb the oversight powers of the supreme court over decisions of the government. The opposition said that if passed, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be free to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and her replacement would then end the criminal proceedings against him. Netanyahu is on trial for corruption in the Jerusalem District Court, a charge he denies.
Observers said that not only the AGs position was under peril but also all other gatekeepers who were protecting Israeli laws in government ministries and publicly sector companies opening the door for mass corruption.
The committee will vote on 27,000 objections to the bill raised by the opposition parties and conduct 1,000 votes on them before the bill can be passed, probably next Monday.
On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden called Netanyahu to discuss the judicial legislation and the protests against it. According to the prime minister he and the president had a long and warm call. “focused on bolstering the strong bond between the nations; thwarting threats from Iran and its proxies; expanding the circle of peace; and the continued efforts to deescalate and stabilize the situation in Judea and Samaria,” his office said in a statement.
Netanyahu also briefed Biden "on his intention to reach wide public support for the rest of the reform during the summer recess,” but reportedly told him that the legislation that is currently facing its final vote, will pass.
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Protesters block a major highway on a day of disruption on Tuesday
(Photo: Yair Sagi)
Netanyahu also claimed that he and the president will meet in the fall, although the White House has a different read on the discussions.
Biden told Netanyahu that there was a "need for the broadest possible consensus, and that shared democratic values have always been and must remain a hallmark of the U.S.-Israel relationship," and that no meeting has been scheduled although one is likely when Netanyahu is in New York for the UN General Assembly in September.
"That doesn't mean that... we have less concerns over these judicial reforms or less concerns over the extremist activities and behaviors of some members of the Netanyahu Cabinet," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. "Those concerns are still valid. They're disturbing. The president had a chance to reiterate... our concerns about all that in his phone call with the prime minister."
First published: 08:40, 07.18.23