Thousands in Israel protest Netanyahu's judicial overhaul as vote looms
HAPPY. THAT’S LATER THIS HOUR. WE’RE GONNA START THAT BREAKING NEWS IN ISRAEL. A POLITICAL CRISIS THAT HAS BEEN BREWING FOR MONTHS IS NEAR ITS BOILING POINT. JUST HOURS, THE ISRAELI PARLIAMENT IS SAID TO BEGINNING THE VOTING PROCESS. PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU’S CONTROVERSIAL PLAN TO STRIP POWER FROM THE SUPREME COURT. TENS OF THOUSANDS ARE PRO DEMOCRACY, TAKING TO THE STREETS ACROSS TEL AVIV IN JERUSALEM. NBC’S RAF SANCHEZ IS IN JERUSALEM, JOINS US NOW. SO, ROUGH, WHY IS THE SCENE LIKE THEIR HEAD OF THIS MONUMENTAL VOTE? >> WELL LINDSEY, YOU CAN SEE BEHIND ME THE PROTESTERS HAVE
TURNED WHAT IS USUALLY ONE OF THE BUSIEST INTERSECTIONS AND DOWNTOWN JERUSALEM INTO AN ABSOLUTE SEA OF BLUE AND WHITE ISRAELI FLAGS. THESE DEMONSTRATORS SAY THEY WILL STAY HERE FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES, EVEN IF IT’S OVERNIGHT, TO TRY TO STOP NETANYAHU’S PLAN TO WEAKEN THE ISRAELI SUPREME COURT. THEY ARE CHANTING NOW, SHAME, SHAME, SHAME! THAT HAS BEEN OR THE RALLYING CRIES IN THE PROTEST. LINDSEY, WE HEARD A FEW MOMENTS AGO FROM THE LEADER OF A GROUP OF MILITARY RESERVISTS, THESE ARE MEN WHO USED TO BE IN THE SAME COMMANDO UNIT, THAT BENJAMIN YET WHO,
ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER, ONE SERVED. THEY’RE SAYING THEY WILL NO LONGER SHOW UP FOR RESERVE DUTY IF THIS LEGISLATION GOES AHEAD. THEY SAY THEY SIGNED UP TO SERVE IN
STOP SHOWING UP. THE CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE ISRAELI MILITARY SAYS THIS IS ALREADY DAMAGING ISRAEL’S MILITARY READINESS. YOU CAN SEE THE CROWD GOING CRAZY HERE. ONE OTHER PROTEST LEADERS, ON STAGE RIGHT NOW, NOW, LINDSEY, AS HE SAID THAT NOW IS PUSHING AHEAD DESPITE THE FACT HE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL EARLIER THIS MORNING TO BE FITTED WITH A PACEMAKER. HIS DOCTORS SAY HE WAS SUFFERING FROM HEART ARRHYTHMIA, AN IRREGULAR HEARTBEAT. THE PRIME MINISTER POSTING VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA EARLIER. HE SAID HE’S FEELING FINE AND THAT HE PLANS TO BE IN THE ISRAELI PARLIAMENT TOMORROW
FOR THE FINAL VOTE AS THIS LEGISLATION GOES THROUGH. THIS IS ONE PART OF HIS OVERALL PLAN TO WEAKEN THE SUPREME COURT. THIS IS A BILL THAT WOULD MAKE IT SO THE COURT CAN NO LONGER RULE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT DECISIONS UNREASONABLE. EARLIER THIS YEAR, LINDSEY, THE COURT RULED IT WAS UNREASONABLE WHEN NETANYAHU TRIED TO APPOINT A MAN CONVICTED OF TAX FRAUD TO SENIOR GOVERNMENT POSITIONS. THESE PROTESTERS FEAR THAT IF THAT IS STRUCK DOWN, THERE WILL BE ONE LAST CHECK ON THE GOVERNMENTS POWER. THEY FEAR ONE OF THE THINGS THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT DO IMMEDIATELY IS FIRE THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL, A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO HAS STOOD IN THE WAY OF SOME OF NETANYAHU’S MORE EXTREME PLANS. RIGHT NOW, LINDSEY, NETANYAHU IS PLANNING TO PUSH AHEAD WITH THIS VOTE. IT’S NOT CLEAR THAT THIS CROWD EVEN AT THESE NUMBERS, IS GONNA BE ABLE TO STOP THEM. LINDSEY? >> RAF SUNTRUST, WE PUSHED YOU
