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What Makes Israeli Protests Different from Other Protests?

(Newsweek) Alan Dershowitz - Israel is embroiled in the largest and most contentious protests in its history. Yet there has been little or no call for unlawful violence, there have been no deaths or serious injuries, there have been few arrests, and there have been no efforts by the government to stop the anti-government protests. These protests demonstrate democracy at work. They also demonstrate that democracy will never be in danger of turning to autocracy in a nation like Israel, that encourages dissent and disagreement. Most Israelis agree with President Isaac Herzog that extremists on both sides are exaggerating the stakes and that compromises are possible and would be beneficial. I am in that camp. But I also believe that even if all the government proposals were to be adopted, democracy and liberty would continue to thrive among the opinionated and contentious citizens of Israel. The impact of these reforms are considerably exaggerated by many of their opponents. They would make Israel more like Great Britain, Canada and even the U.S., and not at all like Hungary, Poland and Turkey. The writer is emeritus professor of law at Harvard Law School.
2023-04-27 00:00:00
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