The Supreme Court ruled on Sunday that left-wing activists could continue to demonstrate every Saturday at Goren Square in Petah Tikva, near the home of Attorney General Avihcai Mandelblit. The court ruled that the demonstrations could continue even without proper permits and without any limit on the number of demonstrators.
The number of demonstrators outside the Attorney General's home has been limited to 500 in recent weeks, following an interim court order.
The most recent court ruling was "a historic victory," said Eldad Yaniv, one of the leaders of the demonstrations. "The arrests carried out by the police are illegal. After the holidays, we will also demonstrate against Bennett, Shaked and Kahlon who are paralyzed like fish while Bibi drowns in investigations."
The petition was submitted by the organizers of the demonstrations and the Movement for Quality Government, who demanded that the court protect the right to demonstrate for all participants who will arrive at Goren Square every Saturday, regardless of their numbers.
Justice Esther Hayut, who will serve as the next chief justice of the Supreme Court, wrote in the judgment that "criticism of state authorities and public figures is the lifeblood of democracy, and there is no authority or public figure in a democratic state immune to criticism."
Hayot added that "for these reasons, it should be stated that the demonstrations taking place on Saturday night in Goren Square are not an inferior expression worthy of only limited protection, but rather the implementation of the right to freedom of expression, which is at the core of fundamental freedoms in a democratic state. The Attorney General is one of the main and most important pillars on which the law enforcement system rests."
According to her, "preserving the independence of this institution is therefore one of the clearest guarantees for the existence of democracy in Israel. However, the Attorney General, like any other public servant, is also not immune to public criticism."
Attorney Menachem Moskowitz, who represents the attorney general's office in Petah Tikva, said: "We regret that the Supreme Court decided to ignore the residents' distress and did not mention the fact that the demonstrators have many places to hold the demonstration. We respect the ruling, although we think that the decision should have been different."
"Like the court, we also call upon the the legislature to settle the issue. I hope that the demonstrators will discover the same 'social sensitivity' and will refrain from adding further bitterness to the residents' lives," Moskowitz added.