Publications

Demonstrations against an incumbent government are not new in Israel. However, the demonstrations against the proposed judicial overhaul, which was first presented in the Knesset on January 4, 2023, have been unprecedented in terms of their scope, spread, and duration over the last eight months. Since the judicial initiative was announced, there have been 1816 demonstrations across approximately 200 locations throughout Israel. According to the police, these demonstrations involved more than 7 million protesters; the protest movement claims more than 10 million. In contrast, there were about 70 demonstrations in support of the government and its judicial initiative.

One of the most prominent features of the protest movement against the judicial overhaul has been its relatively low level of violence, among both protestors and police. Specifically, only 3.2 percent of the demonstrations included incidents of violence (riots). In addition, the number of individuals requiring hospitalization from injuries sustained in the demonstrations was relatively low.

The data demonstrate that the number of protests against the judicial overhaul peaked on the eve of Defense Minister Gallant's dismissal. In contrast, there was a significant decrease after Prime Minister Netanyahu decided to freeze the legislation and begin initial negotiations with the opposition at the President's residence. Following the failure of negotiation efforts and the advancement toward the passage of the legislation aimed at canceling the “reasonableness” standard in the Basic Law: The Judiciary, there was another surge in the number of protests. For the first time in Israel’s history, all fifteen Supreme Court judges are deliberating petitions against this legislation. The outcomes of these dramatic hearings at the Supreme Court will have substantial implications not only for the protest movement but for the State of Israel itself.