18 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
More than 250,000 people have taken to the streets of fifty cities in Israel in one of the largest protests against the judicial reform being prepared by the far-right coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu since the start of the marches seven weeks ago.
According to figures from the organizers collected by the ‘Jerusalem Post’, the main protest in Tel Aviv has brought together 135,000 people. The march has passed without incident, according to the Police.
The reforms have been interpreted by their critics and by the Judiciary itself as an attack on the balance of powers by granting Parliament unusual influence to revoke judicial decisions. The far-right coalition led by the prime minister, on trial for corruption, argues that the courts are exercising excessive political influence.
The first reading of the controversial reform is scheduled in Parliament for Monday, although it could be postponed at the request of the country’s president, Isaac Herzog. You need three readings to modify the law.
Although the march took place peacefully, the Tel Aviv police commissioner, Kobi Shabtai, made an unusual television appearance on channel N12 tonight, in which he expressed his concern about the increase in political tension.
“The current situation leaves me without sleep, we are on a steep slope,” Shabtai told N12. “This is the opportunity to tell everyone to take a breath, relax and go to the countryside,” said the senior police officer.
“Israel has already suffered attacks on its elected officials and we are seeing similar threats on the Internet,” he warned.
