Each week for the past three months, Israelis of different backgrounds and persuasions have taken to the streets to protest against the government’s plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary. It is important to understand that there is an ongoing investigation into alleged bribery, fraud and breach of trust by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The change of the judicial system will result in political control over judicial appointments and limit the Supreme Court’s power to overturn government decisions or declare Knesset laws unconstitutional and for the government to overrule the court’s decisions. Netanyahu is trying to weaken the corruption cases against him. Also, he is not supposed to be involved in judges’ appointments, as it would mean a Conflict of Interest.

The three major ideological goals of the coalition partners are annexations, theocracy, and inequality. Combine that with Netanyahu’s need to legitimize corruption, which requires weakening the judiciary. The coalition wants a more religious and theocratic society and permanent control over the occupied territories and oppose the creation of a Palestinian nation. They do not support citizen equality and want to impose Biblically granted Jewish sovereignty.

The new rules will hurt women, LGBTQ communities, Arabs, and other minorities. You can see a lot of rainbow flags and women wearing red at the demonstrations. It will also have a serious effect on the economy. Already investors are pulling money out of the country.

Many of Israel’s military reserve personal announced that they will not report to duty if the legislation passes. That puts Israel’s security in real danger.
There is a lot of anger toward the orthodox Jews, who do not serve in the army and do not pay taxes. They rely on huge stipends from the government, which comes out of the citizens’ pockets. Now they want to raise their benefits. So when they try to use the reform to inflict rabbinical laws, unrest follows.

I want to mention that some of Netanyahu’s ministers never served in the army, are criminals who sat in jail, or right-wing settlers who incited terror in the annexed territories. I join the protesters in the cry: “SHAME!�

In the face of overwhelming protests and pressure from the Biden Administration, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government announced a delay in its plans to reshape Israel’s judiciary. He was forced to allow Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security, to have a private force, or private militia, which would be subordinate to Ben-Gvir, rather than to the police. SHAME!

Editor’s Note: When we saw Nira Lichten’s photos of the protest in Israel, we asked her to go beyond her duties as The Canyon Chronicle’s Design Director. She lived in Topanga for 23 years and moved to Haifa last year. “I’m a graphic designer, not a writer, nor am I politically savvy. I recommend you search for more articles by journalist and professionals. I live and protest in Haifa, so all my photos are from my home town.�

February 18 — Protesters have dressed in red capes and wide-brimmed bonnets, inspired by “The Handmaid’s Tale,� to highlight what may be at stake for women if the legislation is approved. 17,000 gathered in Haifa to protest the government attack on democracy. Among the speakers were a lawyer, a renowned poet, a women’s rights representative, a rabbi and members of Knesset. The protests are getting bigger and fiercer. In Tel Aviv there were 135,000 protesters. 250,000 around the country!

February 26 — More than 25,000 people joined the protest in Haifa. In Tel Aviv, 150,000 protesters showed up. Also many protests all over the country. The Israeli flag became the symbol of the protests. For a while, flags became scarce as demand exceeded supply. People wear them, carry them, hang them on balconies.

March 5 — The tech sector threatened that the Israeli economy would not be the same if this reform is executed. Thursdays, at noon, the protesters gather at the main entrance to the city of Haifa, in the midst of hi-tech office buildings. These protests are getting bigger every week, and disrupt the flow of traffic. Wednesday was declared “Disruption Day.� Schools and businesses were closed, roads were blocked by many protests all over the country. In Tel Aviv, 11 protesters were injured by police and more than 50 were arrested. In Haifa, the main road was blocked. I took this photo under the giant flag.

March 12 — Last night there were 50,000 people at the protest in Haifa, 15,000 more than last week. In Tel Aviv, 250,000 showed up, 100,000 more than the week before! Protests are getting intense. This photo shows people arriving at Mercas Horev. 10,000 were marching from the Carmel Center(lower right corner of the photo). This arial photo is from the People’s Protest Haifa Facebook page, taken using a drone.

March 18 — 55,000 protesters joined me in spite of the cold. We all were armed with umbrellas but the promised rain didn’t come.

February 23 — Thursday. We protested at the main intersection on the road to Haifa where, many of us blocked major roads. The police were pushing, spraying water at the protesters, intimidating with five horse-riding policemen. I felt bad for the horses. The noise was formidable! Sixteen people were arrested but were all released later on. A few hours later we went to protest at another location. My feet hurt! There were many other protests all over the country. I also befriended a four-legged protester (above, second frame, right)! She was a bundle of energy… it was good to have a laugh. Some creative protesters (above, second frame, left) decorated a sculpture of the founding heroes with flags and stickers. The round red stickers say “Guardians of Democracy.�

March 27 — When Netanyahu fired the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on Sunday night, protesters realized that Gallant’s dismissal highlighted what they fear most, executive overreach, arbitrary rule, political silencing. The dismissal came a day after Gallant warned that the overhaul plan had compromised Israel’s security. Many reservists announced they will not show up for volunteer service if the legislation passes Within minutes of the firing, spontaneous demonstrations erupted in the streets of cities around the country. In Haifa, tens of thousands gathered around 10 p.m. and marched 3.5 miles, shouting “democratia� and other slogans, waving flags and blowing horns. We didn’t get home till 2 a.m. Haifa is considered a sleepy town, where most eateries and businesses close early in the evening. One of my fellow protesters commented, grinning: “I don’t think Haifa has ever seen so many people up and about in the street at this hour....�

April 1 — To accommodate the huge crowds, organizers of the protests added screens and amplification away from the main stage, and even a silent language translator.

A note about the police in Haifa: they are very professional and just do their job. They do their best to protect us. One policeman asked me politely, with a smile, to get on the sidewalk. I heard they are much harsher in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
...And the protests continue! A delay is not a victory. Until the “reform� is off the table, we will continue to demonstrate.