Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to gather in Jerusalem Monday for a mass demonstration against the government’s judicial reform plan.
The protest coincides with a vote by the Knesset on a linchpin bill of the judicial reform plan.
The proposed legislation, which is expected to pass its first reading Monday, would increase the influence of the Knesset and government over the appointment of judges. Currently, just four of the nine members of the judicial selection committee are from the government and Knesset, with the remaining five members being judges and members of the Israel Bar Association.
In addition, the law includes a provision which would explicitly prohibit the Supreme Court from overturning Basic Laws, which the Supreme Court itself has argued constitute Israel’s de facto constitution.
Opponents of the plan have organized dozens of protests across the country over the past seven weeks, including a major demonstration outside the Knesset last Monday.
Demonstrators are set to rally again outside of the Knesset and in Haifa Monday, with smaller protests reported Monday morning ahead of the Jerusalem and Haifa demonstrations.
In four instances, protesters attempted to prevent Coalition lawmakers from reaching the Knesset.
In the Gush Etzion town of Pnei Kedem, south of Jerusalem, members of the Ahim L’Neshek (Brothers in Arms) movement blocked the car of Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionist Party).
Protesters from the Block the Revolution organization surrounded the apartment of MK Tally Gotliv (Likud) in Givat Shmuel, linking arms to block her from exiting. Police were called to the scene, ordering the demonstrators to disperse.
Demonstrators also surrounded the Ashkelon home of Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter (Likud) and the Ramat Gan home of Education Minister Yoav Kisch (Likud).
Eight protesters were arrested at the homes of Kisch and Gotliv.