Over 130,000 people, according to Israeli media, marched in many places in Israel, for the eighth consecutive week, against the disputed justice reform that the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu is carrying on in the Knesset. TO Tel Aviv the most massive protest took place which, according to Channel 13, saw more than 100,000 people crowding the long Kaplan Street that runs alongside the defense ministry complex. The most shouted slogan was “Democracy” and “No to dictatorship” in a sea of Israeli and many peace flags.
According to reports from the Times of Israelthere have also been some clashes between the demonstrators, who blocked the highway, and the police who worked to clear them out.
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The demonstrations were preceded by a harsh exchange of accusations between Netanyahu and the opposition leader Yair Lapid. The first accused the protesters of “creating anarchy in Israel and damaging its economy in order to get to a sixth round of elections”. According to the media, Netanyahu said during the last government meeting that he wanted to “punch the protesters”.
In response Tel Aviv marched with fists lowered to chest height and flags at half-mast. Lapid retorted to the premier that “the time has come for you to put an end to your lies, the only one destroying the economy is you, who divides the nation, who incites violence”.
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Among those present in Tel Aviv, the leader of the Reform Jews in North America Rabbi Rick Jacobs. “We are with you here in Israel – she said – to fight the threats to democracy”. On stage too Tzipi Lavi, leader of a religious feminist organization. But also the former prime minister Ehud Barak.
Similar demonstrations were held in Haifa (30 thousand according to the media), a Jerusalem – near the prime minister’s official residence – and in dozens of other places.