Arab Israelis Fear Weakened Judiciary’s Independence
Many Arab Israelis are conspicuously absent from the ongoing protests in Israel against the government’s plan to overhaul the judiciary. This absence is partly due to the fear that the proposed reforms could weaken the judiciary’s independence, a key pillar of Israel’s democracy. The justice system must remain independent and free from government interference, but Arab Israelis believe that this is not currently the case.
Israeli System Already Rigged Against Arab Israelis
Arab Israelis have criticized the Supreme Court for failing them repeatedly and upholding laws that discriminate against minorities. They argue that Israel’s democracy is tainted by its treatment of them and its open-ended military rule over lands Palestinians seek for an independent state. Moreover, they feel that demonstrations exclusively focus on Jewish issues, further marginalizing them.
Sense of Betrayal Among Arab Israelis at Limited Jewish Support
Arab Israelis also feel betrayed as Jewish Israelis hadn’t rallied in their defense with the same fervor they have exhibited over the last three months. Despite repeated invitations from protest organizers, few Arabs have participated or joined calls to attend. Instead, some have created their own movement demanding that Israel treat all citizens equally, which could threaten existing protections for Arab Israelis if Israel becomes more illiberal.
Israeli Protests Against Netanyahu’s Government Plan to Overhaul Judiciary
Not only has there been a limited presence of Arab Israeli protesters during recent weeks’ demonstrations, but many secular Jews are joining in as well. These protests demand nothing less than unseating Netanyahu, drafting a constitution, respecting nonreligious Jews by legalizing civic marriages and permitting public transportation on the Sabbath, and abandoning the judicial overhaul.
Protesters Fear Democratic Backsliding and Political Corruption
The proposed legislation will spur democratic backsliding and political corruption, and grant the government an effective majority in the selection of judges. Netanyahu, who is currently on trial on corruption charges, has been ordered by the Supreme Court to return $270,000 that he and his wife accepted from a relative for legal expenses. Israeli investors have lost $26 billion since the overhaul was announced in January, which is greater than Israel’s annual defense budget.
Protesters Represent Diverse Professions and Causes
Protesters include reservists, anti-occupation activists, doctors, mental-health workers, artists, civil servants, and academics. However, there is no single leader or mandate to the protest movement. These protests have gone beyond right versus left and instead center around defending Israeli democracy. The handmaids’ protest in their red capes and wide-brimmed bonnets offers a visceral reminder of what protesters say is at stake for women if the legislation is approved.
Dangers of Violence Loom in Israel’s Political Crisis
However, it seems that extreme right-wing elements within Netanyahu’s coalition are seething over protesters’ tactics to force a pause on government plans for judicial overhaul. There are concerns that groups affiliated with the Kahanist right are planning a violent response to opposition protesters. Some of these groups have already beaten reporters and damaged cars.
Occupation Persists as Root Cause of Israel’s Political Impasse
The absence of real democracy is continuing to undermine the country’s political stability. Israeli politics will remain fundamentally unstable as long as the occupation persists. The protest movement can either transform into a call for genuine democracy or remain locked in its current state. It must recognize the roots of the right’s judicial plan in its annexationist and eliminationist agenda.
As it currently stands, those involved must move beyond a defense of the status quo against the threat posed by the radical right toward recognizing that real democracy needs to be established in Israel.
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