Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in the streets of Tel Aviv, on Saturday evening, for the eighteenth week in a row, in protest against the project to reform the judicial system, which is supported by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while its critics consider it contrary to the foundations of democracy.
Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in the streets of Tel Aviv, on Saturday evening, for the eighteenth week in a row, in protest against the project to reform the judicial system, which is supported by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while its critics consider it contrary to the foundations of democracy.
Hundreds went out in the city of Rehovot, raised Israeli flags and closed a major intersection.
“Minister of National Failure”
Thousands of Israelis gathered in Habima Square in Tel Aviv, preparing to demonstrate towards Kaplan Street, carrying Israeli flags and chanting anti-Netanyahu slogans.
One of the demonstrators carried a large picture of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir with the words “Minister of National Failure” written on it.
The Israeli police did not immediately announce the number of participants in the demonstration.
On March 27, Netanyahu announced the “suspension” of the legislative process to give “an opportunity … for dialogue” after the expansion of the protest movement and the start of a general strike.
Negotiations between the parties under the auspices of President Isaac Herzog began last month in order to reach a settlement. But the opposition still doubts Netanyahu’s intentions, and no settlement has been reached.
The organizers of the demonstration Saturday confirmed in a statement that the Netanyahu government is waiting to transform Israel into a “dangerous and religiously extremist dictatorship.”
They pointed to what they described as the economic cost of the government’s refusal to abandon these reforms.
“As long as the deliberations continue in the president’s house, no investments will enter Israel and the Israeli economy will collapse,” the statement added.
Israelis have been demonstrating every week for four months against the judicial reform that Benjamin Netanyahu’s government wants to implement and its critics consider it anti-democratic.
The coalition government, which includes parties from the right, the far-right, and ultra-Orthodox formations, asserts that the reforms aim to correct the imbalance between the judiciary and elected members of parliament, while its opponents assert that they endanger Israeli democracy.
