For seven straight months, the streets of Israel have been filled with Israeli flags as tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in anti-government protests.
On Saturday, and for the 29th consecutive demonstration, Israelis protested in Tel Aviv, West Jerusalem, Beersheva, Herzliya and Kfar Saba.
Protesters have demonstrated against a highly controversial judicial review bill by Israel’s far-right government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The government plans to limit the powers of the Supreme Court as part of the reform package, which opponents see as a threat to democracy.
The Israeli parliament, or Knesset, will begin voting on the bill on Sunday.
According to Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom, most protesters already believe the bill will pass second and third reading before becoming law.
“They are very disappointed by this, and yet they are cautiously optimistic that there might be enough pressure on the prime minister in the coming days that he might reverse course,” Jamjoom said, speaking from the protest site in Tel Aviv.
“Critics continue to say that if any part of this judicial review package passes, they believe it will be a severe blow to democracy in Israel.”
Here’s what you need to know before you vote:
What’s in the review?
The proposals include a bill that would allow a simple majority in parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions, while another would give parliament the final say in selecting judges.
On Monday, parliament will vote on a key additional bill that would prevent the Supreme Court from rejecting government decisions on the grounds of “irrationality”.
The government says the bills are needed to curtail the powers of unelected judges, but critics say the changes are a power grab that would push Israel toward autocracy.
Protesters say Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his allies want to appoint friends to government posts, deepen Israel’s control over the occupied West Bank and implement controversial exemptions for ultra-Orthodox men.
They also accuse Netanyahu of trying to use the reforms to overturn possible trials against him. Netanyahu has rejected the accusation.
Why are the alarming changes seen?
Israel’s democratic structures are already weak, as there is no constitution, the government has a majority in the unicameral Knesset, and the office of the president is largely ceremonial.
The Supreme Court, therefore, is considered the body that protects civil rights and the rule of law. The judiciary plays an important role in checking the executive power in the country.
A weakened judiciary, critics say, would see a greater exercise of power by the government, a male-dominated coalition whose members have advocated the full annexation of the occupied West Bank, as well as policies against LGBTQ people, Palestinian citizens of Israel and women.
Have the protests been effective?
Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious government launched the review in January after he was sworn in. However, alarm from Israel’s Western allies, the fall of the shekel and weekly protests that have seen thousands of people march forced Netanyahu to suspend the review at the end of March to allow mediation with opposition parties.
Talks broke down last month and the Israeli leader relaunched the legislation, scrapping some changes but pushing ahead with others.
Protesters say Netanyahu is moving ahead with the review in a slower, more measured way to appease opponents.
“The government got smarter,” said Josh Drill, a spokesman for the protest movement. “They saw the consequences of trying to do the overhaul and decided to do it piece by piece.”
What’s next?
Yoav Gallant, the country’s defense minister, said he was alarmed by the growing number of people refusing to serve in the army if the review is carried out and is seeking to push for a delay in Monday’s vote, Israeli media reported.
According to Jamjoom, there could be 10,000 more reservists who announce they may not report for duty if the bill passes.
Monday’s “reasonableness” bill, if passed, would mark the first major piece of legislation to become law.
However, if the Supreme Court overturns it, Netanyahu’s coalition would have to decide whether to accept the ruling, with a possible constitutional crisis, analysts say.
Meanwhile, protests are likely to continue to grow in intensity as all factions of Israeli society, including army reservists, doctors and the CEOs of major Israeli banks, have warned against the changes in recent days.
