Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets of protesting against a few judicial reforms passed by the government. The legislation passed would protect Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from being deemed unfit to rule because of his corruption trial.

It stipulates that a Prime Minister can only be deemed unfit to rule because of health or mental reasons. Remember Netanyahu is facing charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of scandals.

Amid these protests, Netayanhu visited UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak — the UK identified Israel as a 'vital international partner' and Sunak has stressed the importance of upholding democratic values that underpin the UK-Israel relationship.

Amir Tibon, Sr Editor of Haaretz Newspaper, mentioned the reason behind the protests is the dramatic changes to the balance of power in Israel, and it is not a coincidence that for 11 straight weeks, hundreds of people are protesting all over Israel.

The Israeli system allows for no clear separation between the government and legislative system, which is a significant concern for those protesting.

Tibon said, “There is no clear separation between the government and the legislator because the government enjoys a parliamentary majority that gives them the ability to rule. And the only real check on the government's power is the Supreme Court of Israel. And what the government wants to do through a very controversial pieces of legislation is basically to significantly weaken the Supreme Court and give some of its powers to the government itself.”

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The Israeli government's ultimate goal is to take over the appointment of judges in the Supreme Court, which would allow them to choose judges who are favorable to their cause.

Netanyahu, in particular, would like the power to select the judges that will hear his corruption case. This desire has led to even more unrest and protests in Israel.

Protesters in Israel want legislation to be put on hold in place of a balanced judicial reform. This would ensure that the Supreme Court remains independent and has the power to hold the government accountable.

For the entire discussion, watch the accompanying video

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