Netanyahu defends the controversial judicial reform and calls for calm in the face of the protests on Saturday

The opposition leader, Yair Lapid, reminds the prime minister that he has not received a mandate “to destroy democracy”

Jan. 13 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday defended his plans for a controversial judicial reform, which critics describe as an unprecedented attack on the independence and functioning of the Judiciary, and promised “responsibility” in the drafting of his amendments, while Hundreds of people are preparing to take to the streets this Saturday in a large protest against the new far-right government.

The changes proposed by Justice Minister Yariv Levin could give the government control of the judicial selection committee, limit the authority of legal advisers and, above all, reduce the ability of the Supreme Court to revoke certain laws passed in Parliament.

Netanyahu and Levin’s proposal was received furiously by both the opposition and the Supreme Court itself, whose chief magistrate, Esther Hayut, went so far as to describe the initiative as a “mortal blow” to Israeli democracy.

In fact, this same Saturday, hundreds of people are expected to take to the streets of Israel, for the second week in a row, to protest against the reform amid calls from prominent politicians such as the head of the National Unity party and former Defense Minister Benny Gantz. , which has invited the entire opposition political spectrum to join the rally.

In a statement before the cameras collected by the ‘Times of Israel’, Netanyahu has defended the proposal as a result of the popular mandate received by his far-right coalition. “We had already discussed this issue before the elections and we have received a clear mandate to carry it out,” he assured.

The prime minister has assured that the amendments to the law on the Judiciary “will be formulated with responsibility and discretion, taking care of all parties.”

“Democracy is built on the proper balance between the three branches of power and this balance exists in all democracies in the world,” he added, before guaranteeing that any amendment will protect minorities and the vulnerable population from the ambitions of the elements coalition ultranationalists.

Netanyahu’s message was immediately answered by his predecessor, opposition leader Yair Lapid, through a message on his Twitter account: “You have not received a mandate to destroy democracy.”

The protests on Saturday will include the participation of the main groups that led the protests against Netanyahu during his corruption trials in 2020: Ein Matzav (No way), the Minister of Crime and Black Flags. They have also been endorsed by other organizations, including the Israel Association for LGBTQ Equality, the Movement for Quality Government, and the Kibbutz Movement.

Gantz, who has gone so far as to warn that the approval of this reform in Parliament could lead directly to a “civil war”, has called on all the Israeli people “from the left to the right” to “protest in for the safeguarding of democracy”.

“Getting your voice heard at this time is a civic duty of the highest importance and not a ‘civil disobedience’ as claimed by those trying to suppress the demonstration,” he said.