Demonstration in Tel Aviv against government plans to change the form of justice in the country. Another of the series of demonstrations against the judicial reform promoted by the current government is taking place in Israel. 9 Mar 2023.
Jerusalem/Tel Aviv – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Rome this afternoon after meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at Ben Gurion Airport. He, among other things, called for calming the tension in the occupied West Bank. Demonstrators who have been protesting in Israel since the beginning of the year against judicial reform, which they say will lead to the erosion of democracy, tried to disrupt Netanyahu's departure. They blocked the approach to the airport with dozens of vehicles.
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Photo gallery: Demonstration against judicial reform in Israel
Netanyahu's flight to Italy was postponed due to protests, he was transported to the airport from Jerusalem by helicopter. The participants called today's continuation of the already two-month-long anti-government protests “the day of resistance against the dictatorship”. Since the morning, the police have arrested at least 15 people who participated in the demonstrations in various parts of Israel.
US Defense Secretary Austin flew to Israel a day later than planned due to the demonstrations, Reuters reported. He held talks with Netanyahu at the airport for more than an hour.
“The United States strongly opposes any actions that could create more insecurity, including settlement expansion and inflammatory rhetoric,” Austin told reporters at a news conference with his Israeli counterpart, Joav Galant. “We are particularly concerned about violence by settlers against Palestinians,” he added. At the same time, he called on the Palestinian leadership to fight terrorism and restore security coordination with Israel. Austin also referred to the controversial Israeli reform, stressing that “an independent judicial system is an important part of democracy”.
Israel's defense minister said Israel is seeking stability and security in the West Bank and is also trying to improve ” well-being of the Palestinian people”. “However, it should never be at the expense of the life of a single citizen of Israel,” he added.
“Israel is on the verge of becoming an autocratic country. The current government is trying to destroy our democracy and actually destroy the whole country,” said Savion Or, one of the thousands of protesters in Tel Aviv, in an interview with the AP agency.
The proposed reform would give the government more influence over the appointment of judges and limit the powers of the supreme court. Disagreement with the proposal was expressed by the opposition, a number of experts, soldiers of the Israeli army in reserve and also the current president Yitzhak Herzog. Despite criticism, Netanyahu's cabinet began approving the reform in February.
“I'm really horrified by what's happening here now, and the least I can do is go out and express my opinion,” said another protester in Tel Aviv, who identified herself as Lior Gabriel. The police used water cannons and flash grenades against demonstrators in Tel Aviv last week, arresting several people.
Dozens of farmers and members of kibbutzim today also slowed down tractors or directly blocked traffic on the roads in the north of the country near the cities of Haifa and Kiryat Shmona, the settlement of Nahalal and the port of Akko. Other protesters in Jerusalem barricaded the offices of the conservative think tank Kohelet Forum, which participated in the preparation of changes in the judiciary. Off Haifa, a small fleet of paddleboards and kayaks attempted to close the main sea route.
Demonstrations in Israel began in January. At the end of December, the new Netanyahu government took office, which also includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. After the announcement of the judicial reform proposal, the demonstrations spread from Tel Aviv to some other cities, including Jerusalem. Far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir called the protesters anarchists and called for a tough crackdown on them.
In Italy, Netanyahu is also scheduled to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, whose government also includes two far-right parties. including hers. According to Israeli radio station Kan, Israelis in Italy are also planning to demonstrate against Netanyahu's government during his stay in Rome.
Israeli President Herzog called for the cancellation of the judicial reform proposal
Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog today called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to scrap a controversial judicial reform proposal that has sparked widespread protests in the country. Reuters informs about it.
The proposed reform would give the government more influence over the appointment of judges and limit the powers of the supreme court. In addition to the president, opposition to the proposal was expressed by the opposition, a number of experts, soldiers of the Israeli army in reserve, as well as many Israelis who have been participating in large demonstrations in Tel Aviv and elsewhere in Israel since the beginning of the year. Despite criticism, Netanyahu's cabinet began approving the reform in February.
“I will not give up – I will pay any price to find a solution,” Herzog said in a prime-time televised address. Prime Minister Netanyahu flew to Rome this afternoon, although some protesters wanted to prevent him from doing so by blocking his arrival at the airport.
According to the president, the current reform proposal “must be rejected now and forever”. These bills are “bad, bullying and threaten our democratic foundations. They must be immediately replaced by another, agreed-upon plan,” Herzog said, according to The Times of Israel (TOI).
The president also pointed out that the solution he has been working for ten weeks. He said the public should not believe reports that a compromise had been reached unless he himself confirmed it. According to the president, enough has been negotiated so far “to be able to leave this current legislation” and work on an agreed compromise. In this context, according to TOI, the President said that coalition and opposition lawmakers must put aside their egos and start working together now.
