9th of March (UPI) On Thursday, as part of a “day of resistance,” protesters stopped highways in cities and towns around Israel in opposition to the hardline coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s modifications to the legal system.
Following demonstrations that blocked access to the airport, the prime minister was compelled to use a helicopter to Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport in order to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Reservists for the Israeli Defense Force and former members of the prestigious Sayeret Matkal special forces are among the at least 13 people who have been detained.In an effort to convince the government to drop a new law that would give the ability to nominate judges to the current government, the action, which is also anticipated to impede train travel and ports, entails marches, strikes, and rallies outside the residences of prominent government officials.
Currently, appointments are determined by a selection committee, which was established to prevent outside political pressure and guarantee the independence of judges and is partly made up of Supreme Court justices.
Opponents contend that the move will undermine the system of checks and balances that prohibits the country’s executive, legislative, and judicial branches from consolidating power.
“The judge is the sole authority with the authority to condemn the government. If the reform is implemented, it will remove the single authority that has the power to criticize the government, leaving us with only the one authority—the government. With unrestricted and limitless power, “Restart Israel, the group behind the protests, stated as much. “This is what a dictatorship looks like. Israel will go from a democracy to a dictatorship in this way.”
Parents and kids who participated in the march left from their schools and converged with others at key locations across the nation.Police told drivers to expect disruptions as a number of major roadways were blocked, including many in the central region and Tel Aviv.
Many businesses including Shufersal — the country’s largest grocery retailer — warned they could not guarantee deliveries to customers.
The judicial changes are opposed by Israeli economists, hundreds of whom signed a letter to the government urging it not to move forward with the law.
