# What Are Israelis Protesting For? Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao5rjXmTbx8 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/ao5rjXmTbx8 Generated: 2025-07-22T05:05:18.065+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Israelis are protesting the government's judicial overhaul, which they perceive as a threat to the country's liberal democracy for Jews, aiming to "turn back the clock" to a pre-Netanyahu government era. The government, driven by Prime Minister Netanyahu's return to power, an annexationist agenda, ultra-orthodox interests, and Netanyahu's ongoing trial, seeks to remove the Supreme Court as an impediment to its policies, despite the court's historical deference to the government on Palestinian rights. **Key Points:** - The government's judicial overhaul is driven by Prime Minister Netanyahu's desire to evade his trial, the coalition's annexationist agenda for the West Bank, and the ultra-orthodox parties' aim to secure military draft exemptions, which the Supreme Court previously struck down. - Despite the Supreme Court's historical deference to the Israeli government on Palestinian rights, the right-wing views it as an impediment, with Justice Minister Yariv Levin having stated over 10 years ago that the High Court was the "biggest impediment to annexing the West Bank." - The protests are primarily about "turning back the clock" to a pre-Netanyahu government era and retaining Israel as a "liberal democracy for Jews," largely excluding Palestinian citizens and the issue of occupation from their core demands. - The energy behind the protests stems from diverse concerns, including women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and the broader secular-religious divide, as many fear a theocracy and loss of personal freedoms. - Many on the Israeli left, like Orly Noy, chose not to participate in the protests due to the overwhelming presence of Israeli flags and the movement's failure to embrace a vision of democracy that includes Palestinian citizens, arguing that "without the presence active presence of Palace of the Palestinian citizens we cannot progress forward towards real democracy." - The government remains intent on passing the reforms, leading to a constitutional crisis where government members openly defy the Attorney General and Supreme Court, while the right-wing mobilizes with a "second-class citizens" narrative, despite the government's anti-social and anti-Mizrahi legislative agenda. - The military establishment largely opposes the judicial reforms, partly due to fears that a weakened Supreme Court would make it easier for Israeli officials and soldiers to face the International Criminal Court, thus removing a crucial "fig leaf" for Israel's actions. **Context:** Peter Barnard hosts a discussion with journalists Orly Noy and Merav Zonszein to explore the motivations behind the Israeli government's judicial overhaul and the nature of the widespread protests against it. The conversation delves into the complex political landscape following Prime Minister Netanyahu's return to power with a far-right, homogeneous coalition, examining the various interests driving the reform and the diverse perspectives within the protest movement and the broader Israeli society. ## Detailed Analysis The Israeli government's judicial overhaul is primarily driven by Prime Minister Netanyahu's return to power, a broad annexationist agenda among coalition parties, the ultra-orthodox desire for military draft exemptions, and Netanyahu's personal legal challenges. Justice Minister Yariv Levin, for instance, has long viewed the High Court as an impediment to annexing the West Bank. Despite the Supreme Court's historical deference to the government on issues like settlement expansion and actions against Palestinians, the right-wing perceives it as an obstacle to their agenda. The protests against this overhaul are largely about restoring Israel to its previous state as a "liberal democracy for Jews," with a strong focus on internal Jewish issues such as women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and the secular-religious divide, rather than the occupation or Palestinian rights. Many on the Israeli left, including Orly Noy, chose not to participate due to the protests' Jewish-centric nature and the pervasive use of Israeli flags, which alienates Palestinian citizens. Merav Zonszein notes the diverse groups protesting, each driven by what they stand to lose. The government remains intent on passing these reforms, leading to a constitutional crisis where government members openly defy the Attorney General and Supreme Court. The right-wing is also mobilizing, promoting a narrative of victimhood and "second-class citizens," cynically weaponizing Mizrahi resentments despite the government's anti-social and anti-Mizrahi legislative agenda. The military establishment largely opposes the reforms, fearing international legal repercussions and a loss of Israel's democratic image, which they believe is crucial for maintaining the occupation. A cognitive shift among Israeli Jews towards a true democracy for all citizens would require them to experience direct suffering, engage with the realities of the West Bank, and face sustained international pressure that holds Israel to universal moral standards. ### Government's Judicial Overhaul Intent - The coalition's primary goal is to remove the Supreme Court as an impediment to its agenda, allowing it to act without legal constraints - Key motivations include Prime Minister Netanyahu's return to power, a broad annexationist agenda for the West Bank, and the ultra-orthodox desire to secure military draft exemptions - Netanyahu's ongoing trial is also a significant, though not exclusive, factor in the push for judicial changes. ### Nature of the Protests - Protesters aim to "turn back the clock" to the period before the current Netanyahu government and its extreme legislation - The movement largely seeks to retain Israel as a "liberal democracy for Jews," with little focus on the occupation or Palestinian rights - Energy stems from diverse groups concerned about theocracy, women's rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and the broader religious-secular divide. ### Supreme Court's Role and Perception - The Supreme Court has historically been deferential to the Israeli government regarding Palestinian rights and the occupation, allowing extensive settlement expansion and actions in Gaza - Despite this, the right-wing views the court as an obstacle, particularly concerning issues like private Palestinian land and military draft exemptions for the ultra-orthodox - The military establishment opposes the reforms, partly due to fears of losing the "fig leaf" of a functioning judiciary, which could expose Israel to international criminal court proceedings. ### Internal Israeli Divides - The right-wing cynically employs a narrative of victimhood, portraying their supporters as "second-class citizens" to weaponize Mizrahi resentments against a perceived Ashkenazi elite - Orly Noy argues this government is "anti-social, anti-poor people, anti-women, and anti-Mizrahi," despite its claims to represent these communities - Shas, a Mizrahi religious party in the coalition, historically votes against the interests of marginalized communities, prioritizing its internal system and communal identity over broader welfare. ### Future Implications and Challenges - The government appears intent on passing the judicial reforms, potentially leading to a constitutional crisis if the Supreme Court rules them illegal - Ben-Gvir's demand for a National Guard, a civilian militia with police authority, raises significant concerns about de facto militias and increased internal tensions - A shift in the "Jewish Israeli mind" towards true democracy for all citizens would require direct suffering, increased exposure to the realities of the West Bank, and sustained international pressure that holds Israel to universal moral standards. ### Leftist Debate and Palestinian Exclusion - A heated debate exists within the Israeli left regarding participation in the protests, with some advocating for an "anti-occupation block" within demonstrations - Orly Noy chose not to participate due to the protests' overwhelming display of Israeli flags and their exclusion of Palestinian citizens, arguing that true democracy requires the active presence of Palestinians - The Balfour protests, which successfully ousted Netanyahu's previous government, ultimately led to a coalition that became the "deadliest government against Palestinians in the West Bank since two decades."