"Israel's Largest Protest in History: Democracy at Risk" #usnews #newstoday #currentaffairs

"Israel's Largest Protest in History: Democracy at Risk"

On Saturday night, hundreds of thousands of Israelis gathered in the streets to protest against the government's proposed judicial reforms, in what organisers called the biggest street protests in the country's history. The reforms, which aim to curb the power of the courts, have been heavily criticised by opponents who claim they threaten democracy and could lead to an authoritarian government.

Demonstrator Tamir Guytsabry spoke out against "the dictatorship being established here in the name of so-called law, judicial reform," while Miri Lahat called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "crime minister," saying, "He is becoming a dictator and we don't want dictatorship. We want democracy back."

The protesters, dressed in red cloaks and white bonnets in reference to the totalitarian novel-turned-TV-series 'The Handmaid's Tale', gathered across the country, with the largest rally taking place in Tel Aviv, where an estimated 200,000 people turned out, many carrying Israel's national flag.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the situation Israel's "greatest crisis," and former Israel police chief Moshe Karadi described the control of the police by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has previous convictions for racist incitement and supporting terrorism over his backing of a Jewish extremist group, as an unprecedented danger.

The proposed reforms aim to give the elected government decisive influence over the choice of judges and limit the ability of the Supreme Court to rule against the executive or strike down legislation. The issue has caused deep divides in Israeli society and has seen reservists threatening to refuse to serve as a way of showing their opposition.

Critics say the reforms will threaten democratic checks and balances on ministers by the courts, with some accusing Netanyahu of trying to escape a legal case against him. Netanyahu is on trial on corruption charges that he denies and says the reforms aim to balance out branches of government.

The clash over the police commander's position is significant, with predictions of a possible constitutional crisis involving Israel's civil service and security forces being unable to take orders from the government if no compromise is reached on the planned reforms.

The government has stood firm in the face of the uproar, claiming the protests are being fuelled by political opponents. However, the size and intensity of the demonstrations suggest otherwise, with some describing the situation as a fight for the soul of Israeli democracy.

The protests come at a time of increased violence between Palestinians and Israel, with three armed Palestinians shot dead by Israeli troops near the West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday. Palestinian officials have not commented on the incident.

As the world watches events unfold in Israel, the country stands at a crossroads. The proposed reforms threaten to undermine the very fabric of Israeli democracy, while the increasing violence in the region poses a threat to the country's security. The coming days and weeks will be critical in determining the path Israel takes and the future it builds for itself and its people.

Thank you so much for watching
find me here: https://linktr.ee/newsque