Students, teachers, doctors, judges, veterans, workers in agriculture and technology companies, among other sectors, marched in numerous rallies across the country to demonstrate their rejection of the project, which has already taken its first steps in the Knesset (parliament).
One of the gatherings headed towards Ben Gurion International Airport, the most important in Israel, and another towards the homes of Economy Ministers Nir Barkat and Justice Yariv Levin, in the cities of Jerusalem and Modi’in, respectively.
According to the latter’s proposal, the reform would limit the Supreme Court’s ability to dismiss laws due to a so-called nullification clause, which would allow the legislature to re-enact regulations challenged by that body.
It also gives the executive branch complete control over the selection of judges, prevents the court from using the test of reasonableness to judge legislation and government decisions, and allows ministers to appoint their own legal advisers.
More than 3,000 police were mobilized to monitor the protests amid fears that far-right national security chief Itamar Ben Gvir would call for force against any troublemakers.
In this sense, the commissioner of the authority, Yaakov Shabtai, warned that riots would not be tolerated and unauthorized road closures would not be allowed.
National media reported that many streets and highways in the country were closed due to the mass demonstrations.
The sea route leading to the northern port of Haifa was completely closed this morning by the fleet of Seafarers to Save Democracy.
The online edition of the Jerusalem Post reported that five reservists were arrested a few hours ago after sandbagging them in front of the building of the conservative Kohelet Policy Forum think tank.
Activists criticized that forum for its far-right stances for “fulfilling their vision of a messianic dictatorship, a black theocratic state with apartheid and land annexation” for the Palestinians.
The organizers of the Day of Resistance declared that opposition to dictatorship is a civic duty.
Students from Tel Aviv Universities, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Bar-Ilan, Haifa and the Institute of Technology joined the marches.
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