Israel: Hundreds of Thousands Rally in Support of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Judicial Reform
Israel’s Justice Minister Yariv Levin: “We need a court that protects soldiers, not terrorists.”
After months of peddling the fictitious narrative that Israelis were overwhelmingly opposed to the judicial reform proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government—despite the majority backing for this move in the country’s elected parliament, the mainstream media looked the other way as hundreds of thousands rallied on Friday in support of the reform in Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Netanyahu “Likud Party and its . . . coalition ally Otzma Yehudit have sponsored the event, which was branded as ‘The One Million March’,” Israeli news website Ynet reported. While the organizers of the rally placed the number of participants at 60,000, the Israeli media estimated the crowd at around 200,000.
MUST SEE VIDEO
At massive rally in #Jerusalem (some claim it was Israel's largest political rally ever) hundreds of thousands call out in unison:
"The Nation Demands Judicial Reform" pic.twitter.com/4myQlXNUJw
— Yishai Fleisher يشاي ישי פליישר 🕎 (@YishaiFleisher) April 28, 2023
The rally was addressed by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who is regarded as one of the architects of the reform bill. “We need a court that protects soldiers, not terrorists,” he told the participants.
For months, the U.S. and European media have been amplifying the voices of the protesters, depicting their agitation against the proposed judicial reform as a last-ditch effort to save the Israeli democracy. Friday’s rally destroyed that narrative peddled by the media and supported by the Biden White House.
The rally “succeeded in putting to bed opposition claims that Israelis are united against judicial reform. It also provided much-needed backing to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s beleaguered government,” the Jewish New Syndicate (JNS) news agency noted.
Unlike the angry anti-government protests staged by the Israeli left in the past, the people at the pro-reform rally appeared happy and prayerful, the media reports suggest.
The JNS reported the mood at the rally:
The pro-reform rally was different in tone from its anti-reform counterparts, which are grim affairs with warnings of pending dictatorship, clashes with police, solemn torchlit marches and women dressed as Margaret Atwood-inspired handmaids with heads lowered.
This rally was boisterous, resembling a giant block party. Music pumped through large speaker systems. Protesters danced and sang. Strangers backslapped one another. It was festive. The optimism was palpable.
It was a great honor to speak at last night's rally for legal reform.
Last night we ended the left's appropriation of language.
We are the camp of democracy. Israel can only be democratic by being Jewish.
Am Yisrael Chai! https://t.co/1tEkNqtX0K pic.twitter.com/x3loCSDfvY— Caroline Glick (@CarolineGlick) April 28, 2023
After months of protests organized by left-wing parties and groups, the rally-goers wanted to show that it was they who represented the silent majority.
“The negotiations are okay; but I don’t favor them too much. After the election, we are the majority, and the government has to go with our wishes,” a participant said according to the Jerusalem Post.
The rally “organizers sought to demonstrate that they represented the majority opinion on the issue, pointing to the overhaul efforts as an extension of the pro-Netanyahu bloc’s election victory, which allowed the Likud leader to form a coalition,” The Times of Israel reported Saturday.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the Thursday event, but tweeted a message of appreciation to the participants,” the news website added.
I thank the hundreds of thousands of Israelis who came to Jerusalem tonight to support our government. Your passion and patriotism moves me deeply. pic.twitter.com/F0aC0ETAFd
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 27, 2023
The i24news reported:
Organizers called the rally the “March of the Million,” with the aim of showing popular support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and their judicial overhaul plan. The protesters descended on the parliament building, which is located across the road from the Supreme Court, as key lawmakers gave speeches in support of the reform. (…)
More than a thousand buses were chartered to bring in protesters from across the country, organizers said. Berale Crombie, one of the organizers, told Channel 12 he expected 500,000.
“On our bus network alone, we have exceeded 1,000 buses going to Jerusalem tonight,” he said. “Many more people will come by car or by public transport. We estimate that we will exceed half a million participants.” (…)
“Make it clear that the people are demanding legal reform,” urged Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who spoke at the protest alongside right-wing lawmakers and other coalition ministers.
“Without the reform we will continue to try to destroy terrorists’ homes and fight terrorism – and the High Court will say no. We will try to deprive terrorists of citizenship and the High Court will say no. The people of Israel yearn for a thorough overhaul of the legal system,” said Chairman of the Constitution Committee Simcha Rotman.
Last month, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced his decision to postpone the judicial reform for the time being, but he rejected the idea of abandoning the legislation. According to media reports, he is expected to table the bill during the upcoming summer session of the parliament.
The Israeli government froze the reform amid massive pressure from the Biden administration. Last month, President Biden told Prime Minister Netanyahu to “walk away” from the proposed judicial reform bill, warning that he “cannot continue down this road.”
On Friday Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi revealed how the Biden administration continues to pressure Jerusalem. The Times of Israel reported:
National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi acknowledged Friday that the judicial overhaul is the reason that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not been invited to the White House by US President Joe Biden.
“Biden is constantly sending senior government officials here,” Hanegbi said, before an analyst on the television panel pointed out that all of those visiting had warned the Netanyahu government against carrying out its contentious plan to drastically weaken the judiciary if it wished to continue to share democratic values.
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Massive protests. Sounds like what we need to do before it’s too late.
“The pro-reform rally was different in tone from its anti-reform counterparts, which are grim affairs with warnings of pending dictatorship, clashes with police, solemn torchlit marches and women dressed as Margaret Atwood-inspired handmaids with heads lowered.
This rally was boisterous, resembling a giant block party. Music pumped through large speaker systems. Protesters danced and sang. Strangers backslapped one another. It was festive. The optimism was palpable.”
This should be happening here, perhaps one weekend each month, at a regional location, to account for geography. Let the people actually see that it’s not just the crazies that live here, and that people still care about this country and its values.
It’s about time! That first rally by leftists was an attempt to overthrow the government. It was a contrived attempt at ‘color revolution’.
Check the Twitter replies to the first video — most of them from people pushing the same tired lies about apartheid, occupation and ethno-Nazis, and calling for a permanent end R”L to Israel— which they can’t even bear to call by name.
What does it tell you that they share the left’s opinion of ending the dictatorship of a self-self judiciary with self-conferred unlimited power?
I see what you mean. Same old same old.
Before everyone comments against the reforms they should really take a close look at how the Judiciary in Israel works. There is nothing Democratic about it.
It would appear this color revolution has failed, may it be the end of the era of American coups.
Let’s hope.
Danny, it’s still going on in the US and it has far from failed.
Is Samantha Powers there?(like in Hungary )Her husband Cass? (Behavioral economics) To nudge a color revolution. Their Supreme Court has no checks and balances on it and picks their own successors, from my understanding. A reform is necessary, will lead to a more democratic future and hopefully Bibi will get it done. (I could always be wrong though) if I am I welcome any other views
Samantha Power’s husband Cass is likely part of the team.. He worked alongside Obama for more than a decade, which is why he ended up the regulatory *czar* in the Obama regime … a very important position given how much of Obama’s agenda was done by regulations. Now he’s working for the Biden Administration’s Department of Homeland Security, undermining US immigration policy.
And in addition to being an expert in behavioral economics, he’s certainly a true believer in communism. In 2007 he penned a paper titled “Climate Change Justice” in which he maintained US wealth should be redistributed to poorer nations.
Over the years has advocated everything from regulating the content of personal e-mail communications to forcing nonprofit groups to publish information on their websites that is counter to their beliefs and mission. He’s also against private gun ownership. In other words, he’s not a big believer in the First or Second Amendments.
Sunstein has openly called for bringing socialism to the US. In his 2004 book “The Second Bill of Rights,” he proposed a new “bill of rights” in which he advanced the notion that “rights” be granted for such items as (1) a useful and remunerative job, (2) earning enough to provide adequate food, clothing and recreation, (3) a decent home, (5) medical care, (6) protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment, and (7) a good education … in short, just about everything.
That being the case, I wouldn’t be at all surprise to find he’s busy helping his wife and the Deep State “nudge” color revolutions around the world and here in the US.
This rally is an excellent response to the “resistance” of the Israeli left which was organized snd subsidized by the American secular Jewish left
Leftists hate democracy.
Of course Brandon doesn’t want to return control of the Government to the people. A left wing judiciary empowered to write law is how an unpopular agenda gets rammed down everyone’s throats
Have been in Israel for the past week and will be in Jerusalem for the next 4 days. Will try to get a sense of the pulse of the people.
I can attest to a VERY strong sentiment of national pride particularly during the 75th celebration of the establishment of the state of Israel a few days ago. Almost every house and apartment as well as many vehicles were flying the flag of Israel.
How interesting things become when other coalitions learn the direct action move from the hacks.
It’s embarrassing to see protests on behalf of liberty in Israel (reformists), Netherlands (farmers), Canada (truckers) and even France, but in the U.S. we have been cowed and intimidated into silence.