For seven months straight, the streets of Israel have been teeming with Israeli flags as tens of thousands of Israelis have taken part in anti-government protests.
The protesters have been demonstrating against a highly controversial judicial overhaul bill by Israel’s far-right government, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the helm.
The Israeli parliament, or the Knesset, is set to begin voting on the bill on Sunday.
Here’s what you need to know before the vote:
What’s in the overhaul?
The proposals include a bill permitting a simple majority in parliament to overturn Supreme Court decisions, while another would give parliament the final say in selecting judges.
On Monday, parliament will vote on an additional key bill that would prevent the Supreme Court from rejecting government decisions on the basis of “unreasonability”.
The government says the bills are needed to reduce the powers of unelected judges, but critics say the changes are a power grab that would push Israel toward autocracy.
Protesters say Netanyahu – who is on trial for corruption charges – and his allies want to appoint cronies to government posts, deepen Israel’s control of the occupied West Bank and implement controversial exemptions for ultraorthodox men.
Why are the changes viewed as alarming?
Israel’s democratic structures are already weak, given that there is no constitution, the government holds a majority in the one-chamber Knesset, and the president’s office is largely ceremonial.
The Supreme Court, therefore, is viewed as the body that protects civil rights and the rule of law. The judiciary plays a significant role in checking executive power in the country.
A weakened judiciary, critics say, would see a greater exercise of power by the government, a male-dominated coalition whose members have advocated full annexation of the occupied West Bank, as well as policies against LGBTQ people, Palestinian citizens of Israel, and women.
Have protests been effective?
Netanyahu’s religious-nationalist government launched the overhaul in January after it was sworn in. However, alarm by Israel’s Western allies, the falling shekel, and weekly protests that have seen thousands march forced Netanyahu to suspend the overhaul in late March to allow for mediations with opposition parties.
The talks faltered last month, and the Israeli leader relaunched the legislation, scrapping some changes but moving forward with others.
Protesters say Netanyahu is moving forward with the overhaul in a slower and more measured way in order to lull those opposed.
“The government got smarter,” said Josh Drill, a spokesperson for the protest movement. “They saw the fallout of trying to ram the overhaul through, and they decided instead to do it piece by piece.”
What’s next?
Yoav Gallant, the country’s defence minister, said he has been alarmed by the growing number of people refusing to serve in the military if the overhaul goes through and is looking to push for a delay in Monday’s vote, Israeli media reported.
Monday’s “reasonability” bill, if passed, would mark the first major part of the legislation to become law.
However, if the Supreme Court strikes it down, Netanyahu’s coalition would have to decide whether to accept the ruling, with a possible constitutional crisis to occur, analysts say.
Meanwhile, protests will likely continue to grow in intensity, as all factions of Israeli society, including army reservists, doctors, CEOs of major Israeli banks, have cautioned against the changes in recent days.
