Israelis rally against Netanyahu govt’s judicial overhaul proposal

Tel Aviv, February 12

Tens of thousands of Israelis took to the street in several cities across the country on Saturday, protesting judicial overhaul plans by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Critics say measures introduced by the new hard-line government would weaken the Supreme Court, limit judicial oversight and grant more power to politicians. Protesters say that would undermine democracy.

The rift over the power of courts is deepening as the government is set to introduce some of the legislations in parliament on Monday amid calls for partial strikes by businesses and professional groups.

For the sixth week, protesters pressed on with large rallies, with the main one in the central city of Tel Aviv and several smaller gatherings in other cities.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a stronger Israeli response in dealing with a spate of Palestinian attacks in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, as pressure swelled within his right-wing government to employ more severe tactics.

His remarks came two days after a car ramming attack in the Jerusalem outskirts killed three Israelis and two weeks after a lone Palestinian gunman killed seven people outside a synagogue, adding to rising anxiety in Israel. — Agencies

‘Unilatreal measures’

• At a meeting in Cairo, leaders of Arab and Islamic countries condemned recent Israeli measures in Jerusalem and West Bank
• President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas attended the meet
• Speakers at the meeting condemned Israel’s “unilateral measures”, including home demolitions and expanding settlements