Demonstrations were held around the country yesterday against the government’s planned changes to Israel’s judicial system, for the fifth Saturday night in succession.
At the demonstration organized by The Movement for Quality Government in Israel in Habima Square in Tel Aviv, the main speaker was former commander of the Israel Police Roni Alsheich. "As an observant Jew, I have to say that there is nothing Jewish in what is being proposed. No element of this plan aims at making the world a better place," Asheich said. "They are trying to remove all the checks in a single day. All the power is transferred to the executive branch, with no restraints. It can do whatever it wishes. What is illegal will become legal and if necessary will be anchored in a basic law.
"I feel ashamed as a believing and observant Jew that because of the behavior of the politicians I hear repeated claims that the religious community has become a shield for corruption in public life. The restraint of power is a basic and deep Jewish value that must not be abandoned," Alsheich added.
Among other speakers in Tel Aviv were the city’s mayor, Ron Huldai, high-tech entrepreneur Hagai Stadler, who is one of the organizers of the "Judaism and Democracy in One Utterance" protest, chairperson of The Association for LGBTQ Equality in Israel Hila Peer, and journalist Or-ly Barlev.
At a demonstration in Haifa, Leader of the Opposition Yair Lapid said, "People have come from all over the land to say that they don’t want to live in a country in which people who work are less important than people who don’t work, and that people who are drafted into the army are less important than people who aren’t drafted into the army, and that people who don’t keep the law are more important than those who do. We will fight in the streets, in the Knesset, in the courts. We will save our country."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 5, 2023.
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