Protesters poured onto Israel’s streets and clashed with police on Monday night after lawmakers approved a key part of a controversial judicial reform bill that critics say could undermine the country’s democracy.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters took the streets overnight to oppose the new law, burning tires, launching fireworks and waving the flag of Israel. In the capital city of Jerusalem, police officers riding on horses used water cannons on protesters and arrested nearly 40 people.
Video footage also shows police officers wielding batons, dragging protesters and beating them bloody. Police noted that at least 10 officers were assaulted during the protests.
The Knesset, Israel’s parliament, approved Monday a key part of the judicial reform bill backed by Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The bill — passed after the opposition walked out of the vote — will prevent judges from overturning government decisions on the basis that they are “unreasonable.” The country’s courts are a key check on the power of the prime minister and governing party or coalition.
Thousands of Israeli doctors have also begun to walk off their jobs in protest of the new law as other labor leaders in the nation call for strikes. Four top Israel newspapers also took part in opposing the bill by covering their front pages with black ink — paid for by a coalition of tech companies. The only words on the page were at the bottom: “A black day for Israeli democracy.”
The judicial reform bill has sparked backlash in the country and around the globe as critics labeled the move as a threat to democratic values. The changes would allow the government to overrule Supreme Court decisions and give the executive branch more power to appoint justices.
With more protests expected in the coming days and weeks, Movement for Quality Government, a nonprofit organization, already announced it would challenge the law in the Supreme Court.
The vote could drive up tensions between the Israel and the U.S., which has been openly critical of the proposed reforms. After the vote, the White House called urged political dialogue in Israel to forge a compromise.
President Biden invited Netanyahu to the U.S. after the two leaders talked on the phone together last week, however its unclear when or where they will meet.
The Biden administration and U.S. lawmakers have denounced the reforms in the past, with Biden saying earlier this year that he hopes Netanyahu “walks away” from pursuing them. In a statement to Axios on Sunday, Biden called on the prime minister to not advance the bill.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.