BICOM

What happened: Over the last two nights protestors have gathered across the country in continued opposition to the planned judicial reforms.

• Last night hundreds of activists gathered outside the homes of several government ministers loudly protesting against the reforms.
• Several people were arrested for disturbing the peace and allegedly assaulting police officers.
• For a second evening in a row, protestors also blocked the main Ayalon motorway through Tel Aviv.
• On Wednesday night tens of thousands of people joined spontaneous protest across the country, with the most significant taking place in Tel Aviv.
• The protests were triggered by two events:
  • Tel Aviv District Police Commander Ami Eshed, made a public statement claiming he had been fired for “political reasons.”
  • Earlier in the day the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved the bill to reduce the Supreme Court’s ability to intervene on the grounds of reasonability. The bill will now go the Knesset for the first reading.
• As a result, on Wednesday night thousands of people blocked the motorway in Tel Aviv. Some lit bonfires, spray-painted slogans on the asphalt, set off fireworks, while many carried the Israeli flag and placards. The demonstrators defied the police’s orders to leave and sang a song that was directed at the police officers: “How did you sell out Ami Eshed? He’s a hero.”
• On Wednesday, twenty-five people were arrested, but released the next day. Fourteen people were hospitalised.
• Shikma Bressler, one of the leaders of the protest movement warned, “The dictatorship laws are here, political impeachments are carried out by the Israel Police day and night, the Israeli economy is collapsing, the glue that bound Israeli society together is deliberately burned every day by people like Ben-Gvir, Rothman, and Levin, whose ideology they share is foreign to the Zionist vision.”

Context: In parallel to the multi-theatre security challenges, the government is also advancing its scaled back version of the judicial reform.

• Due to the protests, the perceived damage to the economy and international criticism the government has withdrawn the most controversial aspects.
• However, Deputy Attorney General Gil Limon warned that, “In the absence of the grounds of reasonability, elected officials’ obligation to act reasonably will disappear, creating a possible black hole and a serious blow to the basic values of Israeli democracy.”
• One of the government’s main objectives in removing reasonability is to allow the reappointment of Shas leader Aryeh Deri to the cabinet.
• His appointment was cancelled by the court as “unreasonable in the extreme,” as he has been repeatedly convicted of criminal offences. However, in their ruling other judges cited ‘estoppel’ as another breach, implying that even if reasonability was overturned it would still be difficult to reappoint him. Ironically, despite being found guilty of corruption, in most policy matters he is considered a moderating influence.
• It’s rare for protests to come out in support of a senior police officer, but Ami Eshed has received significant public support over the last few months due to his tolerant approach to the demonstrators, particularly allowing then to temporarily close main traffic arteries.  As such, Minister Ben Gvir, with responsibility over the police, has been trying to remove him for several months.

Looking ahead: For the 27^th consecutive week large protests are expected across the county on Saturday night.

• The legality of the continued protests will be discussed at the cabinet meeting on Sunday. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is expected to be intensively questioned as she defends the independence of the police and the public’s right to protest.
• The government want the ability to increase enforcement against demonstrations that block roads and disrupt Israel’s ports, public transportation, and Ben Gurion Airport.
• On Tuesday the Knesset is expected to vote on the first reading of the bill to reduce the grounds of reasonability.
• The protest movement is calling for people to take the day off work and demonstrate, a “protest never before seen in Israel.”
• The government hopes to pass the three readings on reasonability by the end of the month, when the Knesset goes into summer recess.