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- The Embassy to Israel of the United States closed Monday in response to a strike called for by Histadrut, Israel's largest labor union.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proposed a series of legislative changes that would drastically overhaul the nation's judicial system and limit the Supreme Court's power.
- Thousands of Israelis have protested the movements since the elections in November.
- If passed, the reform could grant Netanyahu immunity from potential jail time.
- Embassy services, such as filling visa requests or renewing passports, will likely be affected by the closure.
The Embassy to Israel of the United States in Washington closed Monday with no indication of when it would reopen, joining a call by Israel's largest labor union for government workers to protest recent legislative changes proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The strikes and protests are the latest examples of unrest in Israel since the November elections. At the end of 2022, Netanyahu and Israel's most far-right government in the nation's history proposed a series of legislative changes that would drastically overhaul the nation's judicial system and greatly limit the power of the Supreme Court of Israel.
Thousands of Israelis have protested daily since the elections, and on Monday, Histadrut—Israel's largest labor union—called for its members to strike. Histadrut's members span countless sectors in the economy, from government officials to health and banking. Israeli non-emergency hospitals and universities closed, and Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, the nation's largest, halted flights.
"Every sector of society is opposing this in what they see as a serious threat to Israeli democracy," Yael Aronoff told Newsweek on Monday. Aronoff is the director of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel and a professor of international relations at Michigan State University.
What is Netanyahu proposing?
Aronoff told Newsweek that the Israeli government rapidly moved forward with a series of legislative reforms designed to overhaul the judicial system and "extremely weaken" Israel's Supreme Court ability to check the government.
As Israel doesn't have a strong three-branch government like the U.S. and its Supreme Court is paramount to keeping government officials and legislation in check.
Under the reform, Netanyahu is pursuing legislation that could grant him immunity from potential jail time. He was indicted for alleged corruption and faces an ongoing trial in which he is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust, although he denies the allegations. Netanyahu is Israel's first standing political official to face trial.
Other legislative changes would include allowing the government to override a Supreme Court ruling by simple majority vote.
"So, if they legislate a law that the High Court says is unconstitutional, now they could have a law to overrule the High Court with a simple majority, which would extremely weaken the High Court's ability to check the government," Aronoff said.
Other proposed laws would allow the Supreme Court's judge selection to become a more politized process.
Israel's civil society, as well as sectors of the state institution such as military officials, retired heads of intelligence and others, have opposed the reform, according to Aronoff. Protests have consisted of 250,000 to 500,000 Israelis weekly, the per capita equivalent to 10 million to 20 million Americans.
Netanyahu called for peaceful demonstrations after the calls for strike on Monday morning.
"I call on all the demonstrators in Jerusalem, on the right and the left, to behave responsibly and not to act violently. We are brotherly people," he tweeted.
Other Israeli officials—including Israeli President Isaac Herzog—have called for Netanyahu to halt his reform.
"For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of the responsibility, I call on you to stop the legislative process immediately," Herzog tweeted Monday. "Come to your senses now! This is not a political moment, this is a moment for leadership and responsibility."
What is affected by the embassy's closure?
On Monday, the Israeli Embassy in Washington responded to Histadrut's request for strike and closed its offices until further notice.
"Today (3/27), the Histadrut, Israel's largest labor union, instructed all government employees to go on strike, including Israel's diplomatic missions around the world. The Embassy of Israel will be closed today until further notice and no consular services will be provided," embassy spokesperson Elad Strohmayer told Newsweek in a statement.
Aronoff told Newsweek that embassy services, such as filling visa requests or renewing passports, will likely be affected by the closure, although many Israelis might welcome the inconvenience in a show of solidarity.
"Certainly it could have temporary effects in terms of business that needs to get done," Aronoff said, explaining that protest organizers have called for a week of paralysis, although she's not sure how long the strikes might last, saying it depends on the Israeli government's response.
About the writer
Anna Skinner is a Newsweek senior reporter based in Indianapolis. Her focus is reporting on the climate, environment and weather ... Read more