Thousands protest ahead of High Court hearing on Incapacitation Law

Thousands of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night for continued protests against the coalition and its judicial reforms. 

The protest march comes one day before the High Court of Justice will hear petitions against one of the reforms, the Incapacitation Law, which blocks Israel's attorney general from declaring an incumbent prime minister unfit to serve the country.  

The new law was adopted at the end of March with the Knesset vote 61 to 47 in favor. While it did not specify names, the law directly benefits Netanyahu, who has been indicted for accepting bribes, deception and breach of trust in three separate legal cases.

Former Israeli justice ministers Tzipi Livni and Avi Nissenkorn participated in the march to Tel Aviv’s Magistrate’s Court. They were accompanied by several former judges, including former Supreme Court justice Yoram Danziger.  

The protest group, Kaplan Force, released a statement accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of lying about his intentions for the judicial reforms. 

“Netanyahu has been running a campaign aimed at whitewashing his intention to violate the High Court of Justice's rulings and plunge Israel into a serious legal crisis. He intends to be a criminal above the law,” the statement said. 

Judicial reform supporters argue that much of the protest movement is motivated by disdain for coalition government more than concern over the reforms. 

One protester appeared to confirm that idea. 

“I’m against the government. What it’s doing is moving all the power to one authority,” said Roei Ben Haim. 

Ben Haim also said that the Reasonableness Standard Law was not that important in itself. He said that because it is the government’s first move in the judicial changes, protesters needed to “show the government we’re determined in the face of any action it takes.” 

Amit Becher, head of the Israeli Bar Association, said the country is facing “a very, very tough challenge," saying the reforms would "change everything we know about democracy in Israel." 

While there were no arrests reported, the scene was still tense. 

A reporter from Channel 13 news was verbally attacked by protestors who apparently assumed he was with the right-leaning Channel 14 news outlet. 

Meir Marciano, a religious man who was wearing a kippah (head covering), was insulted and shouted at by protestors while trying to report on the protests. 

“Because I wear a kippah, a vile and rude man assumed I was from Channel 14 and started attacking the team and me with shouts. No one around me intervened,” Marciano related. 

He said the man only stopped after seeing the Channel 13 logo on his microphone. 

“It’s getting really scary here. Mostly sad,” Marciano commented.