Israelis protest against judicial reforms before new parliament

The parliament will hold an opening session on Monday after the break, as proponents and opponents of the reform want to keep the pressure on.

Thousands of Israelis have gathered in central Tel Aviv for the latest weekly protest against the government’s reform plans, just days before lawmakers return for another parliamentary session.

Opponents of the judicial reform bill have been holding demonstrations in the commercial center and across the country since January, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shelving the controversial reform program a month ago.

“History has its eyes on you,” read a placard held aloft Saturday at the rally in Tel Aviv, where protesters lit torches and waved national flags in the latest display of political discontent.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoon, reporting from the site of the protest, said it appeared protests had gained momentum since Netanyahu interrupted plans.

“This is the fourth month of weekly protests. Everyone we spoke to in Tel Aviv says they will continue to come out because they are so opposed to this judicial overhaul plan,” he said.

Israeli society is deeply divided over the proposed legislation, which aims to weaken the Supreme Court and give politicians more influence over the selection of judges.

Netanyahu’s right-wing government has argued that the proposals are necessary to rebalance power between the judiciary and elected officials, while opponents said the changes threaten democracy.

The weekly rallies have repeatedly drawn tens of thousands of people to the streets of Tel Aviv. A turnout figure for Saturday was not immediately available.

The demonstrators gathered against the backdrop of cross-party talks hosted by President Isaac Herzog this month that sought to reach a compromise on the reform package.

Negotiations were launched after Netanyahu announced on March 27 that he would halt the legislative process “out of a desire to avoid a rift in the nation”, despite massive protests and a general strike.

However, the opposition remained skeptical of the Prime Minister’s intentions and no compromise has been reached.

Hagar Kaminer, a student protester at the Tel Aviv rally, told Al Jazeera she was concerned that “the fabric of Israeli democracy is being compromised.”

“It is important that we are protesting here for the 17th week in a row because during the negotiations that are currently underway there have been many statements that give us great concern that there will be no real and substantial negotiation. . We want to get the message out that we don’t accept this,” she said.

With parliament set to hold an opening session after a recess on Monday, both reform advocates and opponents have tried to keep up the pressure on politicians.

The reform’s architect, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, addressed thousands of supporters gathered in Jerusalem on Thursday.

The pro-reform protest was also attended by far-right Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, who promised the government will not “give up” on the package.

The cabinet ministers are part of a coalition of right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties that took office at the end of December.