Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Oct 04, 2025

Israel judicial reform plans draw mass protests outside parliament

Israel judicial reform plans draw mass protests outside parliament

Tens of thousands of Israelis have protested outside their parliament against controversial judicial reform plans which have divided the country.

Israel has seen some of its biggest demonstrations in years since the plans were unveiled last month.

If passed, they would curb the Supreme Court's power and give the government more say over judicial appointments.

Critics say it will undermine democracy; the government argues the reforms will strengthen it.

"I feel very distressed, very nervous, I have a lot of sleepless nights," said Helit from Ness Tziona, south of Tel Aviv, who came with her daughter.

"I think they will change. I hope so... but I think [it will be] only for a while. Then things will change again for the worse."

Dore, a lawyer from Tel Aviv, was one of thousands whose offices shut to enable staff to attend the protests.

"I'm here because my heart has been torn to pieces seeing what the new government is doing to Israeli democracy," he said.

"You know they are tearing apart the spirit of this country. And they are threatening the power of the legal systems. I cannot see it happening without protesting against it."

Helit: "I feel very distressed, very nervous, I have a lot of sleepless nights"

In an unusual step, US President Joe Biden appeared to criticise the proposals in their current form in comments printed in the New York Times on Sunday - a rarity for a US leader to express an opinion on constitutional matters in Israel.

Israel's own President, Isaac Herzog, warned that the country was on the verge of constitutional and social collapse. Involvement by Israeli presidents in political issues are also rare since the post is considered to be a politically neutral figurehead.

Monday's demonstrations are the latest in weekly mass protests against the reforms. Opponents say the plans will politicise the judiciary and could lead to an authoritarian government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the current system where laws passed by an elected parliament can be overturned by the Supreme Court is undemocratic.

Among the planned reforms, the ability of the Supreme Court to strike down laws would be severely weakened. A simple majority in the Knesset (Israel's parliament) would also have the power to override court rulings.

The reforms would also give the government more influence over the committee which appoints judges, including to the Supreme Court.

Israel's Justice Minister Yariv Lavin, who introduced the plans, accused opponents - including the attorney general and Supreme Court's chief justice - of seeking to "carry out a coup" against Mr Netanyahu, after a petition was filed to the court to declare the prime minister unfit for office.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
UK, Canada, and Australia Officially Recognise Palestine in Historic Shift
New Eye Drops Show Promise in Replacing Reading Glasses for Presbyopia
Dubai Property Boom Shows Strain as Flippers Get Buyer’s Remorse
Top AI Researchers Are Heading Back to China as U.S. Struggles to Keep Pace
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
UAE-US Stargate Project Poised to Make Abu Dhabi a Global AI Powerhouse
Trump and Starmer Clash Over UK Recognition of Palestinian State Amid State Visit
Saudi Arabia cracks down on music ‘lounges’ after conservative backlash
Saudi Arabia Signs ‘Strategic Mutual Defence’ Pact with Pakistan, Marking First Arab State to Gain Indirect Access to Nuclear Strike Capabilities in the Region
Sam Altman sells the 'Wedding Estate' in Hawaii for 49 million dollars
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
Kuwait opens bidding for construction of three cities to ease housing crunch.
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Did the Houthis disrupt the internet in the Middle East? Submarine cables cut in the Red Sea
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×