Protests against judicial reform: Israeli ex-Prime Minister Barak calls for civil disobedience

Protests in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial reform continue, although the reform has been put on hold. Now former Prime Minister Ehud Barak has called for an intensification of the protest measures, which have been going on for 25 weeks.

In Israel, tens of thousands of people took to the streets yesterday to protest against the controversial judicial reform. At the central rally in Tel Aviv, former Prime Minister Ehud Barak called for an intensification of the protest measures, which have been going on for 25 weeks. The only legitimate way is civil disobedience, Barak said.

Acting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had initially suspended plans to restructure the judicial system in March after intense pressure. However, months of negotiations between the government and the opposition failed to reach an agreement. A week ago, Netanyahu announced that he would continue to push ahead with the restructuring despite the heavy protests.

According to critics, Netanyahu's coalition wants to weaken the country's Supreme Court with the restructuring. They fear a weakening of the separation of powers and thus a weakening of the democratic order. Netanyahu's government, on the other hand, accuses the judges of "excessive interference in political decisions".

The organizers of the protests announced "targeted and non-violent protest actions against the dictatorial laws." Many demonstrators in Tel Aviv also protested against the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories.

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