: Israelis Are Waking Up to the Threat From Netanyahus Government #WorldNEWS Youll need to book at least two weeks in advance if you want to have dinner at a, one of Tel Avivs top restaurants. A table

Israelis Are Waking Up to the Threat From Netanyahus Government #WorldNEWS
Youll need to book at least two weeks in advance if you want to have dinner at a, one of Tel Avivs top restaurants. A table on Saturday night is almost impossible to get. A few weeks ago, Chef Yuval ben Neriah announced that the hottest place in Tel Aviv will close its gates on Saturday evenings. And the reason is Benjamin Netanyahu.
Over the last eight weeks, every Saturday, more than a hundred thousand Israelis rallied the streets of Tel Aviv, protesting Netanyahus plan to shatter the states legal system. As they fill the streets with signs of Crime Minister, referring to the PM’s own corruption trials, some of them try to provoke those sitting in nearby pubs and restaurants: Its not the time to drink wine, were fighting over democracy. Chef Neriah, whose restaurant is nested at the heart of the demonstration route, seems to agree. Saturdays in Tel Aviv have changed. We are changing. It is time for democracy. Some claimed that Neriahs decision, posted on social media, was just pure business. Others saw it as an important message to the satiated Israeli public—some things are even more important than your dinner.

Israeli civil society is facing severe danger. Racists, homophobes, and inciters are holding top positions in Netanyahus new government, aiming to change the countrys face forever. Yariv Levin, Bibis new justice minister, announced a plan to hand more power to lawmakers in overriding Supreme Court decisions and appointing judges. The plan threatens judicial independence and the credibility of the court system and jeopardizes minority rights. On February 12, President Yitzhak Herzog gave a rare speech to the nation, saying the judicial reform raises grave concern for future of Israeli democracy. Herzog, former head of the Labor party, called to halt the legislative process in order to reach a compromise. The Supreme Court Chief Justice and the states Attorney-general are also opposing the plan, stating it will ruin the democratic checks and balances of the state. As Israel doesnt have a constitution, the Supreme Court is the main statutory establishment effectively limiting state power.
The one good thing about Netanyahu’s ongoing attack on the judicial system, is the affect it had on the Israeli public. For years, Israeli liberals were compared to the frog in the slowly boiling water: too cozy to jump until its too late. When changes occur gradually, it is easy to underestimate their meaning and to overlook the danger. But this time, Netanyahus acts were as swift and aggressive as a sudden dip in steaming hot water; at last, it made us jump.
Read More: Israeli Democracy May Not Survive Netanyahus Government
Our society is finally starting to wake up.