Demonstrations: Israel: Tens of thousands again protest against the government

Tens of thousands of people have once again taken to the streets of Israel to protest against the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing religious government. According to Israeli media, 100,000 people attended the main rally in the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv on Saturday evening. Overall, there were protests in around 150 cities.

The demonstrators spoke out against a judicial reform planned by the government. “We have no other country” was written on posters. Some signs were directed against the occupation of the Palestinian territories. Opposition leader Jair Lapid also attended the rally in Tel Aviv, Israeli media reported. Photos showed him in the midst of the protest in front of a sea of ​​blue and white national flags. In a suburb of Tel Aviv, demonstrators filed a complaint because they were attacked with pepper spray from a passing car, the Haaretz newspaper reported. Several women were injured.

There have been regular anti-government demonstrations in Israel since the beginning of the year. Netanyahu’s coalition wants to specifically weaken the supreme court with a judicial reform. The government accuses him of excessive interference in political decisions. Critics see the separation of powers in danger and warn of a national crisis. Netanyahu suspended the plans in March after massive pressure. Negotiations between the government and the opposition have so far remained without agreement.

In the dispute, the government suffered a defeat on Wednesday. In a vote in parliament, an opposition MP was elected, also with votes from the governing coalition, to represent him on a panel that selects judges. A government representative, on the other hand, did not get enough yes votes. Now the post has to be voted on again within 30 days. Lapid said negotiations with the government on judicial reform will only continue once the body’s composition has been finalized.