Im Tirtzu protest outside of Supreme Court
Im Tirtzu protest outside of Supreme CourtIm Tirtzu

Activists from the Zionist watchdog group Im Tirtzu protested on Tuesday outside the High Court of Justice in Jerusalem as the court convened its controversial hearing on the Nation-State Law.

The Nation-State Law is one of Israel's 14 Basic Laws that have super-legal status and serve as Israel's de facto constitution.

Despite the law's quasi-constitutional status, the High Court will be convening to discuss its legitimacy – the first time the Court has ever considered striking down a Basic Law.

The activists handed out bananas outside the court and chanted that Israel is not a banana republic of the High Court.

The activists also displayed a sign showing the judges of the High Court with Islamic head coverings comparing the judges' conduct to the undemocratic Ayatollah regime in Iran.

This week a poll conducted by the Midgam polling agency found that a mere 6.1% of Israelis have complete trust in the judges of the High Court of Justice and only 17.4% of the public has a high level of trust in the judges.

The High Court has faced sharp criticism from both sides of the political aisle over its judicial activism. Former justice ministers Haim Ramon (Kadima) and Daniel Friedmann (Shinui) have been among the high-profile left-wing personalities to criticize the High Court.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit criticized the High Court's decision to convene the hearing on the Nation-State Law.

"Today's hearing is a serious violation of the principle of separation of powers, the rule of law, and the democratic foundations of the state," said Im Tirtzu CEO Matan Peleg.

"The High Court's undemocratic conduct turns Israel into a banana republic, and we expect of the elected representatives to stress in the upcoming election campaign the importance of balancing the High Court."