2023 Israeli judicial reform protests

2023 Israeli judicial reform protests
Part of the reactions to the 2023 Israeli judicial reform
Top to bottom, left to right:
  • Mass protests in Ayalon on 26 March 2023 after Netanyahu fired Gallant
  • Protesters lighting up a flare
  • Police disperse protesters with stun grenades
  • Protest against the judicial reform near Tel Aviv's Azrieli Center on 4 March 2023
Date7 January – 12 October 2023
(9 months and 5 days)
Location
Israel, with solidarity protests in the United States

32°04′21″N 34°46′48″E / 32.0725°N 34.7800°E / 32.0725; 34.7800
Caused by2023 Israeli judicial reform
StatusEnded
  • First major legislation (against "unreasonableness" grounds of the Supreme Court) passed by the Knesset in July 2023, but was struck down by the Supreme Court in January 2024
  • Ended due to the Gaza war and the formation of a war cabinet
Parties
Lead figures
Casualties
Injuries128 protesters (3 seriously injured), 39 police officers (per police sources)
Arrested1,064
Charged7
Fined200+

From January to October 2023, large-scale protests took place across Israel in response to the government's push for a wide-ranging judicial reform. The proposed reform aimed to give the government full control of the Supreme Court or court decisions through various ways. The government also attempted to dismantle the Israel Bar Association and change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee.

The reform was promoted by Justice Minister Yariv Levin with the backing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leaders of the other parties in the governing coalition, but was opposed by opposition parties as well as a large segment of the Israeli public. They were faced with questions on how much, if at all, they should focus on Palestinian rights. Statements by Israeli figures linked the aim of the reform to the expansion of Israeli settlements and further annexation of Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. The protests were effective in delaying the reform, and the ruling coalition would have lost 11 seats in a new round of elections according to polls published by September 2023. In July 2023, the Knesset passed a law to abolish the Supreme Court's ability to review government actions on grounds of reasonableness, but it was repealed by the Supreme Court on 1 January 2024.

The protests came to an end following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing Gaza war, with sporadic demonstrations continuing until the formation of a war cabinet on 12 October. The protests partially resumed later in 2023, as part of broader protests in the country related to the war.