Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, attempted to change legislation that overhauls the appointment of judges and increased political involvement in the Israel court. Accordingly, Israel's judiciary system is facing a crisis, and proposals from the opponents of Netanyahu’s legislation are protesting to stop the situation. Opponents strongly disagree with the new legislation because they are concerned that it will undermine the independence of the judiciary and strengthen the power of the government. This may lead to dictatorship and autocracy of Netanyahu, and make his power invincible in Israel.

The proposed legislation changes the way judges are appointed. Legal expertise was prioritized when choosing judges for court, however, the new legislation may focus on the new judges’ political loyalty and increase the number of political appointees. This legislation is currently being debated in the Knesset - the unicameral legislature of Israel.

Critics argue that the reason for Netanyahu's new legislation proposal is for his upcoming elections for prime minister. He wishes to consolidate his power and weaken the judiciary in order to carry on corruption and criminal offenses he has been accused of doing in the past. If Netanyahu gains power over the court, he will be able to avoid accountability of his illegality. The prime minister will also be able to influence judges to be sympathetic to his political agenda.

The legislation is being opposed by various groups in Israel; human rights organizations, legal associations, and opposition parties. Supporters say that the political interference in the court will increase effectiveness in the court and improve the environment of the judiciary. The opposition argue that the changes will undermine the independence of the court and judges, and promote the political power of the Israel government. The issue has been debated across the country and is a complex problem. It is hoped that the debate in the Knesset will be completed with a reasonable and judicious decision as this issue holds many consequences due to its final conclusion.

Recently, the scale of the protests in Israel has been overheating in various regions and cities across the country. All eyes are now upon the developments in a situation which has been the most serious internal crisis of the current government led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which is pushing for drastic judicial reforms. Protesters are demanding the cancellation of the proposed judicial reforms and Netanyahu’s resignation. As the new coalition government established after the recent election in Israel is the most right-wing government in the country’s history, this mass protest will be a major and influential factor which determines the future direction of Israel. The meaning and influence of this protest and how it will affect the economy in Israel is analyzed here.
As political confusion surges over the controversial judicial reforms pushed by right-wing Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli shekel was down nearly 6% in February. This is the lowest value against the dollar in three years. This uncertainty of the shekel’s future monetary value will likely cause some marginal harm to its investment attractiveness. Additionally, several renowned economists, including 11 Nobel Laureates, have signed an open letter on Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to weaken Israel’s democracy and damage its judicial independence. To be specific, based on their arguments, a strong and independent judiciary is a critical part of a system of checks and balances. Undermining it would be detrimental not only to democracy but also to economic prosperity and growth. The huge uncertainty that would come out of this chaos would ultimately leave the Israeli economy in a tailspin.
On the other hand, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown steadfast confidence in his stance. He also directly mentioned the plan by his new right-wing government to overhaul the judiciary, which has been under increasing criticism with potent protests. He claims his reforms will not harm the country’s economy. At a news conference with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, he said, “In recent days, I have been hearing concerns regarding the impact of judicial reform on our economic resilience. …The exact opposite is true”. As stated in his remark, he seems firm in his support for and willingness to overhaul the judiciary.
An estimated 160,000 protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv over the weekend, with tens of thousands more gathering in other cities to protest against the governing coalition’s legal overhaul. Basically, all citizens are fundamental economic resources which control the operation of the market and its workforce. This automatically creates an air of anxiety and worry about an economic slump among the country’s populace. Because of this, the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak called Netanyahu’s plans an assassination of the constitution, which will turn Israel into a dictatorship. With this kind of criticism from within Israel, the Israeli public’s mood is getting darker.
Netanyahu and Israeli Judicial Branch reforms have obviously had a huge impact on the general mood of the country, especially in the field of economics. As mentioned above, the size of the protests have been getting larger and the voices have also been growing louder. The prime minister is facing pressure from the protesters; however, he is also dependent on his right-wing ministers to remain in power. I truly hope this conflict between the government and its citizens will be resolved as soon as possible.