What's happened
Mass protests in Israel against proposed judicial reforms
Why it matters
The proposed judicial reforms threaten Israel's liberal democracy and have sparked domestic uproar and alarm among the country's Western allies. The protests have been ongoing for 11 weeks and have been described as the largest in the country's history. The reforms would give the government full control over the committee which appoints judges and would ultimately strip the Supreme Court of crucial powers to strike down legislation.
What the papers say
The sources all agree that mass protests have been ongoing for 11 weeks against the Israeli government's proposed judicial reforms. They also agree that the reforms would give the government full control over the committee which appoints judges and would ultimately strip the Supreme Court of crucial powers to strike down legislation. The sources differ in their portrayal of the protests, with some describing them as the largest in the country's history and others not providing a comparison. Some sources also mention clashes between protesters and police, while others do not.
How we got here
The protests have grown since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power at the end of last year, leading the most right-wing, nationalist coalition in Israel's history and promising to curb the powers of the judiciary. The proposed reforms have been moving through parliament and have caused alarm in Israel and abroad about the country's democratic checks and balances. President Isaac Herzog released a set of compromise proposals, which were immediately rejected by Netanyahu. The protests have continued to grow despite the rejection of the compromise proposals.
More on these topics
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Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
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Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
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The supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high court of appeal.
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Isaac 'Bougie' Herzog is an Israeli politician. He served as a member of the Knesset between 2003 and 2018 and held several ministerial posts, including Minister of Welfare and Social Services.
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The Middle East is a transcontinental region that generally includes Western Asia, all of Egypt, Iran, and Turkey. Soviet Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are generally excluded.
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