The Israeli embassy in Portugal announced its closure on the social network Twitter this Monday as a result of the country’s ongoing strikes and protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government’s judicial reform project.
The Israeli diplomatic representation in Lisbon joins several other Israeli embassies abroad in opposing judicial reform that threatens the independence of the judiciary and the foundations of democracy in the country.
“Due to the decision of the Union of Trade Unions in Israel – ordering all Israeli embassies to stop work and go on strike – the embassy has [de Israel em Lisboa] closed today until further notice. Please contact the email only in case of emergency: [email protected]”wrote the Israeli Embassy in Portugal, in Portuguese and English, on its official account on the social network Twitter.
The decision was announced after several diplomats from several Israeli embassies abroad also announced this Monday that they would join the country’s ongoing strikes against the controversial judiciary reform that the far-right government in the history of Israel. On the land.
Yaniv Levy, spokesman for Histadrut, Israel’s largest union, had already indicated that Israeli diplomatic missions were also on strike, with only the “emergency services” working, as ambassadors and consuls joined the wave of protest paralyzing the country.
Workers from various economic and social sectors in Israel went on strike this Monday in yet another attempt to increase pressure on Netanyahu to get the executive he heads to overrule the judicial reform plan.
The leader of the Histadrut called an immediate general strike this Monday morning during a press conference demanding an end to the judicial reform announced by the government, which deeply divides the country.
“I call for a general strike (…) as soon as this press conference is over. The State of Israel comes to a standstill”announced Arnon Arnon Bar-David, head of Israel’s largest trade union.
Immediately after the strike was announced, Israeli airport authorities indicated that scheduled flights from the country’s main international airport were cancelled.
Union power had been left out of the protests that have lasted for weeks in the country, but the recent resignation of Israel’s defense minister appeared to be the impetus for this immediate strike.
On Sunday night, Netanyahu fired the defense minister after Yoav Gallant publicly called for an end to judicial reform.
The Prime Minister’s decision brought more than 600,000 people to the streets in massive and impromptu protests in several Israeli cities. Universities across the country are closed “until further notice”.
According to the Histadrut spokesperson, not only have flights that were supposed to depart from the country’s main international airport been canceled and diplomats from Israel’s embassies and consulates abroad have left their jobs, but shopping malls and universities have also closed their doors.
The Histadrut called on its approximately 800,000 members — involved in virtually every area of the economy, health care and education, as well as banking — to stop working and immediately go on strike.
Local authorities are also expected to close nurseries and schools and other services, while Israel’s main union of doctors has already announced that the vast majority of its members are in emergency aid alone.
The growing opposition to Netanyahu’s plan came hours after tens of thousands of people across the country took to the streets in a spontaneous outburst of anger over the prime minister’s decision to fire the defense minister.
Shouting slogans such as “The country is on fire”, protesters set fire to Tel Aviv’s main road, leading to the closure of the road, and the same happened in other Israeli cities.
In addition, thousands of demonstrators are demonstrating outside the Israeli parliament (Knesset) to keep up the pressure.
Judicial reforms sparked one of Israel’s most serious internal crises by uniting the opposition, business leaders, magistrates and court officials, academics, intellectuals, students and even the country’s military.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog this Monday asked Netanyahu to “act with responsibility and courage” and “immediately” end the legislative process of the controversial judicial reform that divides the country.
The centerpiece of the review is a law that will give the ruling coalition the final say on all appointments of judges, including the Supreme Court, and will also allow it to appoint politicians to government legal advisory positions.
Other laws included in the reform give parliament the ability to overturn Supreme Court (STJ) decisions by simple majority, limiting judicial review of laws and even their revocation by the country’s highest court , even if it considers them unconstitutional. .
Netanyahu and his coalition partners have argued that the bill will restore balance to the relationship between the executive and the judiciary, allowing the government to curb what they see as an interventionist court with liberal sympathies.
But critics warned that the laws in the Judiciary Reform Act would abolish Israel’s system of checks and balances — end the separation of powers that underlie any rule of law — and concentrate power in the hands of the ruling coalition, adding that Netanyahu, on trial on corruption charges, has a clear conflict of interest.
Source: DN
