THE SQUIZ

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have demonstrated across Israel over the weekend ahead of a crucial vote on the government’s proposed overhaul of the nation’s judiciary. The Benjamin Netanyahu-led government plans to strip power from Israel’s Supreme Court in what many see as a conservative attack on the democratic foundations of the state. It’s not just civilians protesting, either – 10,000 army reservists announced they’d be off-duty to protest the changes, and 100 former defence leaders have accused PM Netanyahu of compromising Israel’s security. If that weren’t enough, Netanyahu spent the weekend in hospital getting a pacemaker installed, just a week after being hospitalised for dehydration. With or without him, the vote is pressing on…

TELL ME ABOUT THE PROPOSED REFORMS… 

This one has a backstory, so let’s take a moment… At the end of last year, after another inconclusive election, Netanyahu formed government with the help of the far right, who have long held grievances against the Supreme Court. Now they’re in charge, they want parliament to have the power to appoint judges and overturn court decisions. Those against the overhaul say it’ll erode protections for human rights in Israel, and they also point out that Netanyahu – who’s on trial for corruption – might have his own reasons for disempowering judges… Protesters have taken to the streets every Saturday night for the past 7 months, and the vote has already been delayed due to enormous protests in March. But Netanyahu doubled down on the changes over the weekend, and here we are with the vote set down for today. 

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?Well, let’s see because negotiations for a compromise/postponement on the judicial overhaul are still underway. It’s no easy thing with Israel’s international partnerships, including with the US, at stake. US President Joe Biden has repeatedly called on Netanyahu to reconsider the changes, and last week the White House said that “shared democratic values have always been and must remain a hallmark of the US-Israel relationship”. As for those protesting army reservists, experts have speculated that the turmoil within Israel’s military could weaken the state’s security. Chalk it up as one to watch…