Thousands of Israelis demonstrate in Tel Aviv against the Netanyahu government
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the streets of Tel Aviv this Saturday, January 7, 2023. AP - Tsafrir Abayov
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
A major demonstration was held in the center of Tel Aviv on Saturday evening to protest in particular against the reform of the judicial system initiated by the new Israeli government, which plans to considerably weaken the Israeli Supreme Court in favor of Parliament and the executive.
Advertising
Read more
“
This is our home, our country.
To all of us!
“, chant the demonstrators.
At the call of dozens of organizations opposed to the
new government of Benyamin Netanyahu
, the rally in front of the Habima theater, in the heart of Tel Aviv, has grown considerably.
“
It's moving that thousands, even tens of thousands of protesters have come here from across the liberal camp in Israel to say 'enough' to this terrible government.
We will not allow them to cross the lines.
We will protect the judicial system and minorities
,” said Noam Bar Shalom, a veteran of the anti-Bibi protests, at the microphone of our correspondent,
Michel Paul
.
The new ministerial team has already announced its intentions, among other things, to continue colonization in the Palestinian Territories, to carry out reforms which raise concerns in the LGBT community in particular and its intentions to reform the judicial system.
A controversial reform, presented to the press on Wednesday, provides for the introduction of a so-called "derogation clause" which would allow Parliament, with a simple majority vote, to annul a decision of the Supreme Court.
Among those speaking to the crowd was the President of the Israeli Bar, Avi Himi, for whom the reform of the judicial system proposed by the new justice minister amounts to the destruction of democracy in Israel.
This is also the opinion of Valérie Dahan of the movement of mobilized democrats.
"
What motivated me to go and demonstrate tonight are the measures that have been announced by the Minister of Justice who wants to make Israel a more democratic country where the government can do exactly what it wants without anyone being able to intervene.
It's worrying
," she said.
Along with Israeli and rainbow-colored flags, protesters in Tel Aviv also brought out t-shirts and banners that were crossed out with the words "Crime minister" in reference to the indictment of Benjamin Netanyahu for bribery in a series of cases.
This slogan had been widely taken up during an anti-Netanyahu protest movement which had seen, from 2020 and for months, Israelis meeting every week on Saturday evenings to demand the departure of the one who had already been in office. from 1996 to 1999 then from 2009 to 2021.
(
And with
AFP)
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Israel
Binyamin Netanyahu