Protesting Supreme Court activism outside home of Esther Hayut
Protesting Supreme Court activism outside home of Esther HayutEhud Tenne

Dozens of cars gathered Friday outside the home of Supreme Court of Justice President Esther Hayut, protesting the court's decision to strike down a law requiring illegal migrant workers to deposit 20% of their monthly salaries to a special fund made available to them only upon leaving the country.

The law was legislated as a means of encouraging illegal migrant workers to voluntarily leave the country.

The protesters, led by the Zionist watchdog group Im Tirtzu, asserted that the Supreme Court's ruling was a "gross and politicized abuse of power and a violation of Israel's democracy."

The protesters further stated that this decision was merely the latest in a long history of undemocratic and biased political activism by the court, aimed at torpedoing every solution proposed by the government to resolve the illegal infiltrator issue.

Tens of thousands of illegal migrant workers currently reside in Israel, the majority of them living in south Tel Aviv.

Residents of south Tel Aviv, who also participated in the protest, have long advocated for a solution to the infiltrator issue, which they say has made their lives unbearable given the rise in crime and drugs in their neighborhoods.

The Supreme Court's decision was also blasted by right-wing politicians.

"Unbelievable. The Supreme Court thwarts again, again, and again every tool the State tries to use to enforce its immigration policies and safeguard the Jewish majority in the Jewish state," Transportation Minister Betzalel Smotrich (Yamina) tweeted.

MK Ayelet Shaked (Yamina) noted that "only the Override Clause will put an end to this," referring to proposed legislation to enable the Knesset to overturn rulings of the Supreme Court with a majority vote.

Im Tirtzu CEO Matan Peleg, who participated in the protest, said: "The Supreme Court justices are acting as political actors who act in complete disregard of the wishes of the country's elected officials."

"The judges believe that laws, including Basic Laws, don't need to be obeyed; rather [they] are tools to be used to advance their political goals," continued Peleg.

"This blatant violation of the basic principles of democracy endangers the future of the State of Israel, and the time has come for the judges to end their judicial dictatorship and realize that this is a democracy, not Iran."