Thousands of protesters gathered outside the main U.S. diplomatic office in Tel Aviv Thursday night, calling upon the US to condemn Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary.
The gathering came days after President Joe Biden called members of Netanyahu’s far-right government “extreme” and said that supporters of Israel’s West Bank settlements were “part of the problem.”
Netanyahu’s allies, who comprise the most far-right Israeli government ever, have proposed a series of changes to the Israeli legal system aimed at weakening what they say are the excessive powers of unelected judges.
The proposed changes include giving Netanyahu’s allies control over the appointment of judges and the power to overturn court decisions they do not support. Protesters say the plan will destroy the country’s fragile system of checks and balances and concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies.
Protesters, who are now in their seventh month of demonstrations, fear that Netanyahu’s plans will strain Israel’s close alliance with the U.S. Standing outside the U.S. Embassy Branch Office, they waved American flags and LGBTQ+ pride flags and brandished signs reading “SOS” and “Mayday!”
