{"id":4388,"date":"2023-03-01T18:09:41","date_gmt":"2023-03-01T18:09:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londonpost.news\/?p=4388"},"modified":"2023-03-01T18:09:41","modified_gmt":"2023-03-01T18:09:41","slug":"israeli-police-crackdown-clashes-with-anti-netanyahu-protests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/politics\/israeli-police-crackdown-clashes-with-anti-netanyahu-protests\/2023\/03\/01\/admin1\/","title":{"rendered":"Israeli police crackdown clashes with anti-Netanyahu protests"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEL<\/span> AVIV,<\/span> Israel<\/span> (AP)<\/span> –<\/span> Weeks<\/span> of<\/span> anti-government<\/span> protests<\/span> in<\/span> Israel<\/span> turned<\/span> into<\/span> riots<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> first<\/span> time<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> when<\/span> stun<\/span> grenades<\/span> and<\/span> water<\/span> cannons<\/span> were<\/span> fired<\/span> at<\/span> protesters<\/span> blocking<\/span> a<\/span> highway<\/span> in<\/span> Tel<\/span> Aviv.<\/span> The<\/span> crackdown<\/span> comes<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> heels<\/span> of<\/span> Israel’s<\/span> hardline<\/span> National<\/span> Security<\/span> Minister<\/span> calling<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> tougher<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> what<\/span> he<\/span> called<\/span> “anarchists”.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> violence<\/span> came<\/span> as<\/span> thousands<\/span> across<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> launched<\/span> a<\/span> “day<\/span> of<\/span> national<\/span> unrest”<\/span> to<\/span> protest<\/span> the<\/span> government’s<\/span> plans<\/span> to<\/span> overhaul<\/span> Israel’s<\/span> judicial<\/span> system.<\/span> The<\/span> protests<\/span> then<\/span> moved<\/span> to<\/span> Jerusalem<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday,<\/span> where<\/span> protesters<\/span> rallied<\/span> and<\/span> chanted<\/span> outside<\/span> the<\/span> Knesset,<\/span> Israel’s<\/span> parliament.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Protesters<\/span> were<\/span> to<\/span> gather<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> evening<\/span> in<\/span> front<\/span> of<\/span> Prime<\/span> Minister<\/span> Benjamin<\/span> Netanyahu’s<\/span> private<\/span> residence<\/span> in<\/span> central<\/span> Jerusalem.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Netanyahu’s<\/span> allies<\/span> argue<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> proposed<\/span> judicial<\/span> reform<\/span> program<\/span> should<\/span> reduce<\/span> the<\/span> influence<\/span> of<\/span> unelected<\/span> judges.<\/span> But<\/span> critics,<\/span> including<\/span> influential<\/span> business<\/span> leaders<\/span> and<\/span> former<\/span> military<\/span> personnel,<\/span> say<\/span> Netanyahu<\/span> is<\/span> driving<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> into<\/span> authoritarian<\/span> rule<\/span> and<\/span> will<\/span> target<\/span> judges<\/span> while<\/span> he<\/span> is<\/span> on<\/span> trial<\/span> for<\/span> corruption.<\/span> states<\/span> that<\/span> there<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> clear<\/span> conflict<\/span> of<\/span> interest.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Seeing<\/span> the<\/span> police,<\/span> protesters<\/span> shouted,<\/span> “Where<\/span> have<\/span> you<\/span> been?”<\/span> This<\/span> is<\/span> a<\/span> reference<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> absence<\/span> of<\/span> security<\/span> forces<\/span> during<\/span> the<\/span> settlers’<\/span> attack<\/span> on<\/span> the<\/span> Palestinian<\/span> town<\/span> of<\/span> Hawala,<\/span> which<\/span> took<\/span> hours<\/span> to<\/span> quell<\/span> and<\/span> which<\/span> the<\/span> army<\/span> said<\/span> was<\/span> unprepared.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Police<\/span> said<\/span> demonstrators<\/span> threw<\/span> rocks<\/span> and<\/span> plastic<\/span> bottles<\/span> at<\/span> officers.<\/span> Police<\/span> said<\/span> they<\/span> had<\/span> arrested<\/span> 39<\/span> protesters<\/span> in<\/span> Tel<\/span> Aviv<\/span> for<\/span> disturbing<\/span> the<\/span> peace,<\/span> and<\/span> 11<\/span> were<\/span> hospitalized<\/span> with<\/span> various<\/span> injuries,<\/span> according<\/span> to<\/span> Tel<\/span> Aviv’s<\/span> Solaski<\/span> Medical<\/span> Center.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Netanyahu<\/span> also<\/span> accused<\/span> opposition<\/span> leader<\/span> Yair<\/span> Lapid<\/span> of<\/span> fostering<\/span> anarchy.<\/span> Rapid<\/span> urged<\/span> police<\/span> to<\/span> show<\/span> restraint<\/span> and<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> Netanyahu<\/span> government<\/span> had<\/span> lost<\/span> control.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Thousands<\/span> of<\/span> protesters<\/span> have<\/span> appeared<\/span> at<\/span> locations<\/span> across<\/span> the<\/span> country<\/span> waving<\/span> Israeli<\/span> flags.<\/span> Parents<\/span> marched<\/span> with<\/span> their<\/span> children,<\/span> technicians<\/span> quit<\/span> their<\/span> jobs<\/span> to<\/span> demonstrate,<\/span> and<\/span> doctors<\/span> protested<\/span> outside<\/span> hospitals.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> reform<\/span> bill’s<\/span> lead<\/span> author,<\/span> Justice<\/span> Minister<\/span> Yariv<\/span> Levin,<\/span> said<\/span> on<\/span> Tuesday<\/span> that<\/span> the<\/span> coalition<\/span> will<\/span> push<\/span> forward<\/span> with<\/span> parts<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> judicial<\/span> reform<\/span> bill<\/span> next<\/span> month<\/span> before<\/span> parliament<\/span> adjourns<\/span> for<\/span> the<\/span> Passover<\/span> holiday<\/span> on<\/span> April<\/span> 2.<\/span> said<\/span> he<\/span> intended<\/span> to.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Netanyahu<\/span> is<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> center<\/span> of<\/span> a<\/span> years-long<\/span> political<\/span> crisis<\/span> in<\/span> Israel,<\/span> with<\/span> his<\/span> former<\/span> allies<\/span> turning<\/span> against<\/span> him<\/span> and<\/span> refusing<\/span> to<\/span> sit<\/span> with<\/span> him<\/span> in<\/span> government<\/span> over<\/span> his<\/span> corruption<\/span> allegations.<\/span> The<\/span> political<\/span> turmoil,<\/span> with<\/span> five<\/span> elections<\/span> in<\/span> four<\/span> years,<\/span> culminated<\/span> in<\/span> Netanyahu’s<\/span> return<\/span> to<\/span> power<\/span> late<\/span> last<\/span> year.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>These<\/span> allies,<\/span> who<\/span> wielded<\/span> immense<\/span> political<\/span> power,<\/span> have<\/span> been<\/span> at<\/span> the<\/span> top<\/span> of<\/span> Netanyahu’s<\/span> government,<\/span> including<\/span> Ben<\/span> Gubir,<\/span> who<\/span> was<\/span> arrested<\/span> dozens<\/span> of<\/span> times<\/span> before<\/span> entering<\/span> politics<\/span> and<\/span> was<\/span> convicted<\/span> of<\/span> inciting<\/span> violence<\/span> and<\/span> aiding<\/span> terrorist<\/span> groups.<\/span> Secured<\/span> Portfolio.<\/span> Finance<\/span> Minister<\/span> Bezalel<\/span> Smotrich,<\/span> a<\/span> fanatical<\/span> settler<\/span> leader<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> West<\/span> Bank,<\/span> has<\/span> been<\/span> given<\/span> authority<\/span> over<\/span> a<\/span> portion<\/span> of<\/span> the<\/span> territory.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>They<\/span> have<\/span> pledged<\/span> to<\/span> take<\/span> a<\/span> tough<\/span> stance<\/span> against<\/span> the<\/span> Palestinian<\/span> people,<\/span> who<\/span> have<\/span> faced<\/span> heightened<\/span> tensions<\/span> in<\/span> recent<\/span> weeks.<\/span> Smotrich,<\/span> who<\/span> has<\/span> publicly<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> a<\/span> tougher<\/span> response<\/span> to<\/span> the<\/span> killing<\/span> of<\/span> two<\/span> Israelis<\/span> by<\/span> a<\/span> Palestinian<\/span> shooter<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> West<\/span> Bank,<\/span> said<\/span> Israel<\/span> was<\/span> “going<\/span> crazy”<\/span> just<\/span> before<\/span> Sunday’s<\/span> mob<\/span> riots.<\/span> said<\/span> it<\/span> should.<\/span> He<\/span> later<\/span> called<\/span> for<\/span> restraint,<\/span> but<\/span> on<\/span> Wednesday<\/span> also<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> attacked<\/span> Palestinian<\/span> town<\/span> of<\/span> Hawala<\/span> should<\/span> be<\/span> “destroyed.”<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>The<\/span> government<\/span> said<\/span> the<\/span> law<\/span> reform<\/span> aims<\/span> to<\/span> correct<\/span> an<\/span> imbalance<\/span> that<\/span> has<\/span> given<\/span> the<\/span> courts<\/span> too<\/span> much<\/span> power<\/span> and<\/span> allowed<\/span> them<\/span> to<\/span> interfere<\/span> in<\/span> the<\/span> legislative<\/span> process.<\/span> They<\/span> say<\/span> the<\/span> overhaul<\/span> will<\/span> streamline<\/span> governance,<\/span> and<\/span> say<\/span> last<\/span> year’s<\/span> elections<\/span> that<\/span> returned<\/span> Netanyahu<\/span> to<\/span> power<\/span> with<\/span> a<\/span> narrow<\/span> majority<\/span> in<\/span> parliament<\/span> gave<\/span> them<\/span> the<\/span> power<\/span> to<\/span> make<\/span> changes.<\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – Weeks of anti-government protests in Israel turned into riots for the first time on Wednesday when stun grenades and water cannons were fired at protesters blocking a highway in Tel Aviv. The crackdown comes on the heels of Israel’s hardline National Security Minister calling for a tougher response to what […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":""},"categories":[280],"tags":[646,1357,1358,1359,1360,1361,1362,1363,1364,1365],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/israelww.webp","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4388"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4388"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4388\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4391,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4388\/revisions\/4391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4390"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4388"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4388"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brusselsindependent.com\/be\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4388"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}