Hundreds of thousands protest judicial reform for 18th consecutive week

“There won’t be a situation in which the coalition chooses judges for itself. This won’t happen, not on our watch.”

By World Israel News Staff

Hundreds of thousands of people protested in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities against the government’s judicial reform plans for the 18th consecutive Saturday.

Referencing the suspended legislation, former justice minister Tzipi Livni addressed protesters in Tel Aviv, where an estimated 180,000 people gathered in Kaplan Street.

“We must understand the threat hasn’t been removed and hangs over us. If we blink for a moment they’ll exploit the opportunity,” she said.

Protest organizers called on opposition figures to “make decisions” or cease negotiations. “We demand that opposition leader [Yair] Lapid and MK [Benny] Gantz come together to make a decision in the coming week, and if not, to end the negotiations. It’s either judges beaten into submission or democracy.”

In Rehovot, Lapid said: “We’ll leave no stone unturned to see if there’s a chance to reach a historic agreement that will be with us for a hundred years into the future, but we won’t let them just stall for time to save their government.”

“This government can’t hold negotiations at the President’s Residence while at the same time slandering the High Court and sending thugs to the streets,” he added.

“There won’t be a situation in which the coalition chooses judges for itself. This won’t happen, not on our watch.”