Israeli Protests Intensify over Netanyahu Gov't Weakening Judiciary as Palestinian Rights Ignored

Workers across Israel are taking part in a general strike Monday to protest plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to disempower Israel’s judiciary. This comes after Netanyahu fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on Sunday over Gallant’s warning that the judicial overhaul represents “a clear, immediate and tangible threat to the security of the state.” Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have taken part in protests in recent days, shutting down large parts of the country and demanding the government withdraw its plan, which would give parliament more power to appoint judges to the Supreme Court and overturn its rulings. The Supreme Court is one of the few independent checks on the Israeli government, and critics warn Netanyahu’s judicial reforms would turn the country into a dictatorship. For more on the political crisis, we speak with journalist and activist Haggai Matar in Tel Aviv.