Over 200,000 at start of pro-government demonstration in Jerusalem

Arutz Sheva ^ | 27/4/23

[Eleutheria5]

An enormous rally with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators called the 'Million March,' was held in front of the Knesset this evening (Thursday) in support of the government's planned judicial reforms.

Over 1,000 buses are bringing citizens from all over the country to participate in the demonstration.

Police said that crowds at the demonstration at first reached 200,000 people.Later, as more and more people arrived, and it was almost impossible to get through the crowds that poured in, filling all the streets around the Knesset,, the organizers estimated close to 600,000 people.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Knesset Constitution Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman, the architects of the judicial reform legislation, addressed the demonstrators, as did numerous other politicians. Speakers included Nobel Laureate Prof.Israel Aumann, the head of the student union of Israeli universities, Caroline Glick, popular publicist and media personaiity Noam Fathi, Professor Gadi Taub and others.

Demonstration organizer Berele Crombie stated that "the purpose of the demonstrations is to remind and demand from our elected officials in the government and the coalition that the people want judicial reform, that the people are behind them, that the people give them strength."

.....

[Eleutheria5]

Huge gallery of photos of demonstrators. Leftards having conniptions.

[Eleutheria5]

Minister Nir Barkat attacked by protestors in Tel Aviv
Policeman injured and taken to the hospital after left-wing protestors assault Economy Minister’s security guards

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/370653

Lapid: ‘What else will this government do before they are stopped?’

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes

“The head of the opposition and chairman of Yesh Atid, Yair Lapid, criticized the demonstration in Jerusalem.

“I feel deep shame and deep sadness, and this is what every Israeli who is part of the sane majority felt when he saw the protesters stepping on pictures of Supreme Court judges.... “

[monkeyshine]

What’s the issue? What reforms are being demanded by the protestors?

[Eleutheria5]

In a nutshell, that the legislature and executive branches should have a majority voice in naming judges. Right now, the Israeli Bar Association gets unfettered prerogatives in naming five out of the nine high justices, and they can rule on any decision by the legislature, government or even the military that they want, with no recourse whatever. The “Constitution” says whatever they want it to say, and they can strike down anything they don’t like.

[monkeyshine]

That’s weird. I know Israel doesn’t have a Constitution per se, but the judiciary should be independent in a free country. It’s why federal judges have lifetime tenure in the US.

[Eleutheria5]

Independent is one thing. But in the US, in order to get that life tenure, they have to be nominated by POTUS, and approved by the Senate. There are democratic checks and balances. But the high court is a creature of the Bar Association, so in addition to more-or-less life tenure, they are an autonomous fiefdom, and since there is no set Constitution to refer to as there is in the US, they make all rulings by fiat and whim, sort of like dictators. It’s been a sore point for decades.