Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Some 10,000 demonstrators gathered outside government offices in Jerusalem on Wednesday to protest a bill that would change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee, shifting control over judicial appointments from a balance of legal professionals and politicians to a government-led majority.
Critics warn that such a change would erode judicial independence and allow the ruling coalition to appoint judges based on political loyalty rather than professional merit.
Protesters arrived in convoys from across the country, led by Brothers and Sisters in Arms, a protest group made up of military reservists and civil society leaders. Outside the Knesset, the group erected a provocative installation dubbed the “Qatar Embassy,” showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a puppet manipulated by Qatari officials. Qatari flags and mock banknotes surrounded the figure.
The display references the so-called “Qatar-gate” affair, a growing political controversy over alleged ties between Netanyahu’s inner circle and Qatari intermediaries. Qatar, which provides financial support to Hamas, has played a mediating role in negotiations over the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Opposition lawmakers, business figures, and legal professionals joined the protest, warning that if the bill passes, they will escalate protest actions nationwide. Demonstrators see the legislation as part of a broader effort to consolidate political power at the expense of judicial independence.
Among those addressing the crowd was Knesset Member Chili Tropper, who criticized senior ministers for undermining military service. His remarks came days after Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf was filmed dancing to a song featuring the lyrics “We’d rather die than enlist”—a moment that drew widespread condemnation.
The protest also included emotional appeals from hostage families. Yehuda Cohen, father of a hostage held in Gaza since October 7, accused the government of abandoning the captives and placing political interests ahead of their rescue.
<< Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv >>
Legal leaders, including Israel Bar Association head Amit Becher, warned that the bill would hand near-total control of judicial appointments to politicians, sidelining professional and independent voices. Becher described the legislation as part of a campaign to intimidate and undermine the judiciary.
Protest organizers have vowed to challenge the bill in court and intensify demonstrations if it passes, saying the fight is not only about legal reform but about the future character of Israel as a democratic state.