Tens of thousands of Israelis turned out for a fifth weekend of demonstrations against the government's plans to reform the Supreme Court, which they see as an unacceptable attack on a key democratic institution.
According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, about 60,000 people joined protests across the country on Saturday despite bad weather to voice anger at Justice Minister Yariv Lavin’s proposal to allow parliament to override the court's rulings by simple majority.
The court has stood at the centre of Israel’s democracy since the country was founded in 1948. As the highest court in the land, it hears petitions against public bodies and authorities.
People of all ages joined the protests.
Ellen, a pensioner who chartered a bus to bring protesters to Jerusalem, called on President Isaac Herzog to intervene. “I’m a little old lady, but I wish the president would get off his little chair and do something,” she told The National.
On Sunday, Mr Herzog issued a plea to the government for dialogue.
“Stop the whole process for a moment, take a deep breath, allow dialogue to take place, because there is a huge majority of the nation that wants dialogue,” he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government is barely five weeks old, is facing mounting opposition from world leaders, industrialists and financiers over the judicial reforms.
The reforms, which involve giving politicians more power to appoint judges, removing ministerial obligations to respect the opinions of legal advisers and ending the top court's powers to block government decisions it considers unreasonable, might “have an impact on investment flows” into Israel, according to a recent JP Morgan report.
During a visit to Israel last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at US anxiety over the planned changes, while French President Emmanuel Macron raised the issue when he hosted Mr Netanyahu in Paris at the weekend.
Domestic opposition to the reforms is reflected in opinion polls. A survey released on Sunday by the Israel Democracy Institute found that just 31 per cent of Israelis believe the judicial overhaul is “good”. Forty-three per cent said they think it is “bad” while 64 per cent of those surveyed were in favour of “dialogue to reach a compromise”.
Moshe Levy, a protester in Jerusalem, told The National: “I don’t think the government cares about us Israelis, but the world cares and can see us. And the government definitely cares what the world thinks. This is democracy being eradicated in live action.”
James Inverne, a resident of the central Israeli city of Modi'in, said the issue was stirring patriotic feelings in defence of a key pillar of the constitution: “When I see religious, secular and right-wing Jews, and not only Jews, it makes me feel even more proud of being Israeli. This is the true Israel right here.”
“I’ve always had a rule that I would never criticise any Israeli government to a non-Jew. But now I can’t stay silent any more. This is the gravest threat to Israeli democracy we’ve ever seen.”
His son, Doron Inverne, 17, highlighted the crucial role of young people, a demographic that was key to the rise of the far-right in November’s elections.
“Most of us aren’t in favour of the reforms. We need to turn up to fight the impression that no one cares,” he said.
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
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Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
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A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
