Tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Jerusalem today, Thursday, to express their support for legislation proposed by the far-right coalition government to strip the Supreme Court of its powers. Blue and white flags were raised in front of the Israeli Knesset as a symbol of the protests against the planned legislation, with demonstrators chanting, "The nation wants judicial reform."
Far-right Knesset member and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed the crowds, saying, "To all my friends sitting here, look at the power we have. They have the media and wealthy individuals funding the protests, and we have the nation. We will fix what needs to be fixed."
Justice Minister Yariv Levin stated that "Israelis who voted for the current government also voted for the judicial amendments," promising "a meaningful correction to the current situation." He added, "It is possible to reach an agreement through dialogue with the other side." Many in Israeli society, including the president, have called for a compromise and urged the ruling coalition to soften its initial proposals.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir told the crowd that they "have not accepted the reality that we won," accusing the left of trying to defile Memorial Day. He added, "We will not be broken and we will not yield." Protests against the judicial reform plans have swept the country for weeks, drawing massive crowds in several cities continuously since the announcement of the plans.
