TEL AVIV (AFP) – Thousands of Israelis have protested for the 18th straight week against the far-right government’s controversial judicial reforms, even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shelved reforms more than a month ago.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Rehovot, waving Israeli flags and blocking a major road intersection.
Thousands of people gathered in Habima Square in Tel Aviv, preparing to march across the city to Kaplan Street, waving Israeli flags and chanting anti-Netanyahu slogans.
Protesters held up a large picture of far-right national security minister Itamar Ben Gubir, with a caption calling him “Minister of National Failure.”
Israeli police did not initially release an estimate of the number of demonstrators. In a previously released statement, protest organizers said they were waiting for Netanyahu’s government to turn Israel into a “messian and dangerous dictatorship.”
They stressed that the government has refused to abandon the reforms altogether, instead seeing it as the economic cost of holding talks with opposition figures hosted by President Isaac Herzog last month.
“As long as deliberations continue at the president’s office, there will be no investment in Israel and the Israeli economy will collapse,” organizers said.
Supporters of judicial reform argue that the balance of power between government departments needs to be restored. Critics say it poses a threat to democracy. Prime Minister Netanyahu on March 27 announced a “pause” of legislation on reforms “hoping to avoid dividing the nation” after weeks of mass protests and general strikes.
