March from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in protest against judicial reform

A few hundred Israelis took part in a march on Wednesday between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the seat of parliament, in protest against the government’s plan to reform the judicial system, where they plan to reach on Saturday.

“Given the progress of the reform, it is time to deliver a decisive blow. It will take days, we need you, join us,” Shikma Bressler, the organizer of the protest movement, said in a short video.

A 70-kilometer march set off from Tel Aviv on Tuesday evening after a new day of mobilization, bringing together thousands of Israelis against a reform project championed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing and far-right government, which its opponents see as a threat to democracy.

After a break during the hottest hours of the day, the marchers, waving Israeli flags, carrying water bottles and umbrellas to protect themselves from the scorching sun, set off again at around 5:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. GMT), according to an AFP reporter.

He plans to arrive in Jerusalem on Saturday evening, where the bill’s legislative journey through the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, continues.

“We will set up tents around the Knesset,” 38-year-old high-tech worker Moshe Redman, one of the march’s organizers, told AFP.

“We hope the Israeli government will listen to the country and stop the destruction,” he said.

The Knesset last week voted in first reading on a reform measure aimed at ruling out the possibility for the judiciary to rule on the “reasonableness” of government decisions.

The Parliamentary Justice Committee should have the measure examined by representatives in the second and third readings from Monday.

This so-called “rationality” clause forced Mr Netanyahu in January to sack Ari Deri, the number two in the government, convicted of tax evasion, after a Supreme Court intervention.

The government-backed reform, one of the most right-wing in Israel’s history, aims to increase the power of elected officials compared to magistrates.

The government believes it is necessary to ensure a better balance of power, but its critics see it as a threat to democracy and its institutional safeguards.

The announcement of the project in January sparked one of the largest protest movements in Israel’s history, mobilizing thousands of protesters across the country every week.

Dozens of Israeli army reserve soldiers signed a document in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night certifying that they “voluntarily refuse to serve” in protest against the reform.

– “Not in a hurry” –

The project has also been criticized abroad, particularly in the United States, Israel’s close ally.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged the Israeli government not to “rush” its reforms and proceed with caution, in an unusually direct criticism of Israel’s domestic politics.

Joe Biden, quoted in a New York Times editorial, said, “Building consensus on politically contentious topics requires time. For significant change, it is critical. So my recommendation to Israel’s leaders is not to rush reform.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, who plays a largely ceremonial role but is seen as a more conciliatory figure than Benjamin Netanyahu, met with Joe Biden in Washington on Tuesday.

In a speech to the US Congress on Wednesday, he strongly defended democracy in Israel, despite controversy over judicial reform.

Mr Herzog spoke of the “intense debate” in his country as “the clearest tribute to the tenacity of Israeli democracy”.

He said, “Although we face painful problems, like you, I know that our democracy is strong and resilient. Democracy is in Israel’s DNA.”