Israeli Protests

Currently, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets across the country in recent months to demonstrate against a judicial overhaul planned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. This judicial overhaul ruling by the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) restricts judges from challenging some government decisions. Critics of the package fear that it will weaken the judicial system in favor of the government and the Knesset. Because Israel has a parliamentary system, proposed reforms such as undermining judicial oversight and changing the way judges are appointed will undermine the balance of power between Israel’s branches of government. As a result, opponents argue, the changes underway will destabilize Israeli democracy. Proponents of the reforms argue the opposite, making the case that the judiciary has become an unaccountable branch of government that has usurped the power of the Knesset and the government in setting policy.

In spite of the many conflicting views, many protests have risen. From the northern city of Haifa to Eilat on the Red Sea, protest organizers promoted rallies nationwide in the biggest test of public opinion since the government put a key plank of its reforms to a final vote in parliament on Monday. More than 170 thousand people are participating in these protests.

With all these protests it is uncertain how the fate of these rulings may play out. Throughout history, public opinion has always played a significant role in the government’s decisions across all countries around the world. Generally, public opinion can drive advocacy efforts by various interest groups and civil society organizations. When a significant portion of the public expresses support for a particular policy change or reform, advocacy campaigns can put pressure on policymakers to consider and adopt those proposals. Israel is in a tricky position with its population split in view and one side having many protests. Public policy is a key role in this situation and the prime minister and the Knesset could listen to their people to determine many rulings in the future to maintain peace.