Hundreds protest outside home of ex-court head amid fears for his safety

Hundreds protested for and against the judicial reform at the home of former High Court Justice president Aharon Barak on Sunday, after anti-reform groups expressed concern for his safety earlier in the day.

Both sides waved Israeli flags in the street in front of Barak's Tel Aviv home, with the pro-reform also bearing Likud flags and the counter-protest side peppered with LGBTQ+ flags.

Proponents of the reform called for the resumption of the judicial reform. Their signs accused the High Court of Justice of destroying the Jewish majority in Israel.

Anti-reform protesters displayed signs declaring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a danger to Israel.

Demonstrators "filled with rage" and "violence" were ready to harm Barak, the Brothers in Arms military reservist NGO had warned in the morning.

"The Brothers in Arms reservist protest won't let them threaten him," the group said. "We will stand by Aharon Barak and push away violence and incitement."

The NGO said that the conduct of pro-reform protesters in Jerusalem on Thursday, in which they stepped on pictures of justices and incited against them, indicated that they would also physically harm them.

The Movement for Quality of Government in Israel (MQG) called on Friday for an immediate increase in security for Barak, High Court President Hayut and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara in response to alleged incitement and claims of Jerusalem protesters trampling on banners displaying images of justices.

In a letter to Baharav-Miara, MQG called for her to open investigations into the acts, and the speeches given by some political leaders.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin accused the High Court of protecting the neighborhoods of terrorists and not IDF soldiers, said MQG. The NGO asserted that this was part of incitement against the court.

"As if we learned nothing from [Yitzhak] Rabin's murder, once again evil winds are blowing in the streets of Jerusalem and fringe elements to our shame today hold the steering wheel of authority, inciting against the symbols of government," said MQG founder Dr. Eliad Shraga. "We already know where the incitement that [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is leading can go, And we hope that this time we will know how to stop it in time."

Pro-judicial reform rally in Jerusalem 

Hundreds of thousands of pro-judicial reform protesters rallied in Jerusalem on Thursday. While judicial reform legislation has been paused in favor of negotiations, the Knesset's recess is set to end Sunday.

Barak was the High Court president overseeing the period known as the "constitutional revolution," which saw an expansion of the judiciary's powers. This included the legal supremacy of certain Basic Laws and establishing the court's ability to engage in judicial review.

The initial 2023 judicial reform proposals sought a drastic reduction in the court's power, including the restriction of judicial review.