Why Israel's Massive Protests Are A Big Deal

Nationwide protests continued for the 10th week in Israel as citizens filled city streets on Saturday to voice their opposition to the hard-right government's plans to limit the Supreme Court's authority. Critics view these plans as a threat to judicial independence. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who claims his intention is to balance the government's branches, holds a parliamentary majority with his coalition partners who are religious nationalists.

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Meanwhile just an update last Wednesday we had Marin Rappaport who is a writer in both 972 mag and also the editor of a local call who spoke to us from Tel Aviv and explained to us the context of the massive protests that we're seeing. You have to understand that when 200,000 people come out to protest in Israel it would be the equivalent of about 6 million in this country. wow. We have never seen six million people protest in a specific City in this country. so I don't even know if we've had six million people protesting simultaneously. I think during the Iraq War it was like three million. I mean the women's March, what was it up to like five-ish or something like that. I guess that's possible. Throughout the whole country. And we should say this is happening every week every weekend now it's happening. And the real question is that well here's some of the footage of this. again handmade tail outfits they get all our Netflix there. And the bottle culture. Now the interesting thing is of course their concern is not fundamentalist Christian Christianity it is fundamental Judaism. and you know just to recap what Marin Rappaport told us basically we have a government over there in Israel now where you have a Rock Solid sort of Coalition between the ethno-nationalists and the religious fundamentalists. And they don't really you know they don't have too many points of contention between the two of them. Let's put it down that overlap is pretty seamless there's a really healthy dose of racism that really in many ways is essential to both of those ideologies. And the real question for someone like and we should say this is for allowing the Knesset which has 120 members a vote of 61 would overturn any ruling by the Supreme Court and presumably any other Lower Court effectively saying that the court is really there if only for administrative purposes. that any major questions that are meaningful in any way the Knesset can overrule them. it's essentially their system of judicial review right? For that kind of legislation? No no no no. There is no judicial review of this legislation. There is no constitution in Israel. There it would basically be the Supreme Court had a certain Primacy in certain areas in which it would rule. That is gone under their proposed changes.

[gothgrrl]

i never thought the face eating cougars would eat MY face

[brentshowers]

I’ve made this argument for some time it’s nice to hear you articulate it to your audience. The only true path forward for Israel is one that embraces Palestinians

[ComradeCatpurrnicus]

I wish there was this much protest towards their fascistic governments treatment of Palestinians. It is good nonetheless, it's just unfortunate that protests only come when people start to realize "oh wait, these fascists are coming for my freedom and rights now"

[debdenny]

Let that be a lesson for the USA. Netanyahu started this with his LAST administration, and *they* voted him back in.

[sharoncohen]

Thank you for how you articulated this!
The secular, and moderate left IS the majority. And this IS an extension of the second-class citizenship of Palestinians. So many Israelis don't see it this way, and think this issue is unrelated to the occupation.

[orizoharshemesh]

Left wing israeli here. Things are looking dark and little hope. The protests are amazing. But still no power to stop this madness. The liberal democratic secular poulation is a majority. But leftwing thought economically, socially, and regarding the palestinians is a small manority. I am part of the shrinking left.

[DavidvanDeijk]

Human rights for everyone, equal rights for everyone, or you will be a Martin Sommer poem.

[abuanihaspazg]

thank you for working for understandings and peaceful means, covering these stories.

[Junksaint]

Everyone should be watching this very closely.

[SupremeFenix]

Shoutout to the people who made all the cloaks and hats.

[TheKitsuneCavalier]

I have heard plenty of times that we are in late stage Capitalism, but it's moments like these that make me wonder if we are in late state religiousness.

[drorcohen]

as Israeli i agree with most of what said. This is the last chance and this is the result of 50 years of occupation.

[matthewkopp]

As far as handmaid’s tail I think Israelis need to also worry about Fundamentalist Christianity as well.

In the USA many progressive mainline Christian churches once supported early Zionism and this was lead in dialogue with Martin Buber. Eventually Martin Buber questioned zionism as „just another nationalist movement“. When progressive mainline Christianity began to question zionism, conservative Christianity some how magically started to drop long held anti-Semitic beliefs like superseccionism. Suddenly fundamentalist became supporters of Israel. How did this happen? Through collaboration with the Republican Party, especially NEO-cons who saw Israel as „the unsinkable battleship“ in the Middle East.

Even recently Israel’s former ambassador to the US said his country should worry less about what American Jews think and concentrate on Christian evangelicals as the “backbone” of support for the Jewish state.

What you have is a collaborative effort of Zionists and Christian Zionists both perfectly willing to support the war machine and domination.

[jimranallo]

When do we vote on isreal as the 51st american state... they surely should qualify as a dependent

[ragingdevi]

The 1970 Earth Day protest had something like 20 million protestors in the US (A little less than 10%).

[jeroenbakker]

I am really worried about Israel. They should have been a beacon of light, but they are turning into the opposite.

[johnthompson]

Proper use of the word population instead of using the word citizens. 💙💛Peace/JT

[roymonaghan]

If only the treatment of Palestinians was something that brought them out in droves. Free Palestine.

[tsocanuck]

Margaret Atwood really had it right ...Canadian Icon

[snoopcelev]

one of the protesters here. I must say this is a really shallow analysis. but I guess it's understandable when your knowledge is probably based on translated Israeli news. Maybe invite on pro and anti reformists?