As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to visit London, the chief rabbi of the United Kingdom, Ephraim Mirvis, has called for “Jewish unity” in Israel and around the world in
response to the ongoing protests against proposed changes to the Israeli judicial system. In a short op-ed in the Jewish Chronicle, Mirvis expressed his concern about the possibility of civil war and urged Jewish people to prioritize unity during this national crisis. Mirvis avoided taking a side in the debate over the proposals put forward by Israel’s right-wing government, which are aimed at reforming the judicial system by reining in the power of the Supreme Court.
The ongoing protests have brought hundreds of thousands of people onto the streets of Israel for months. The government’s recent passing of a law limiting the ways a sitting prime minister can be removed from office has drawn fresh rebuke from protesters. Netanyahu, who has been embroiled in multiple corruption cases for years, has delayed his London flight to early in the morning on Friday after making a nationally televised speech in which he said he will intervene in the judicial reform process.
According to Haaretz, Netanyahu is expected to use the visit to reassure his British counterparts that his reforms will not change Israel’s identity as a democratic state. His public schedule included only a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, a Conservative, and no meetings with local Jewish figures. Some liberal Jewish groups in the UK have joined in protesting Netanyahu’s upcoming appearance in London, with British-Jewish group Yachad UK advocating for a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and arguing that Netanyahu’s government is working to destroy Israel’s judicial system, entrench occupation, and trample on the rights of women and minorities.
Marie Van Der Zyl, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, argued in an op-ed in the Jewish Chronicle that those protesting should not be dismissed as haters of Israel. She noted that the protests in London are being led by Israelis who are proud to fly the Israeli flag and that they wish to save Israel from something they fear might lead to its destruction.
As Netanyahu arrives in London, it is clear that the proposed changes to Israel’s judicial system have sparked passionate debate and protest both in Israel and abroad. While Netanyahu will likely attempt to reassure his counterparts in the UK that his reforms will not erode Israel’s democracy, it remains to be seen whether his message will assuage concerns from protesters who fear the potential consequences of these changes. Photo by U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv, Wikimedia commons.