Mass Protests Set To Resume Following Tisha B’Av Pause

The mass protests that have taken place across Israel in recent months, and reached new heights over the past week following the first vote on a part of controversial judicial reforms on 24 July, are set to resume this evening following a pause on 27 July for the fast day of Tisha B'Av. President Isaac Herzog has appealed for calm, writing that "I appeal on everyone: Even when the pain peaks, we must preserve the boundaries of the dispute and refrain from violence and irreversible measures". However, there is little sign of an end to the social unrest and mass strike action that has seen Israeli allies voice their concerns and some in the business community warn of the impact of the judicial reforms on the economic outlook.

• While the High Court will wait until September to hold a hearing on the first reform that trims the powers of the Supreme Court to overturn gov't decisions, a case on August 3 could become a lightning rod for protests in the short term. On that day, the court will hear an appeal against a bill ratified in March that limits the conditions for which a PM can be removed from office.