Over the past month, Israeli politicians and media personalities have raced towards collision in an ever-more-frantic game of “chicken” waiting to see which side will back down first in the battle over the Supreme Court.  Yesterday, President Isaac Herzog called for multilateral negotiations. The government has expressed cautious support for Herzog’s proposal, unlike the Opposition, but both sides stipulate that their opponents must come to the table “without preconditions.” Today, the tensions come to a head as the judicial reform bill passed its first vote in a Knesset committee, allowing it to the plenum.

In protest of the vote, hundreds of thousands of Israelis are gathering at locations around the country, including in Tel Aviv and outside the Knesset building in Jerusalem. Nearly a million Israelis are expected to participate in a massive strike as part of the protests, and many major roads will be closed, blocking public transportation and adding to the chaos.

Please pray for government and Opposition to agree to negotiations! Please pray that moderates on both sides would have the courage to hold their parties accountable, and for a renewed appreciation of common interests as Israelis. Lastly, please pray for the safety of protestors and law enforcement today.

For more information on the proposed judicial reforms, see our article Israel’s Democratic Troubles Part 3: The Battle Over the Judiciary.