Thousands rally in Tel Aviv protesting Israeli Government’s policies
Thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Saturday (1/14/2023) calling for an end to the policies of the country’s right-wing, far-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish coalition government.
The protests were in response to a call by Black Flags, an anti-corruption organization, to “salvage democracy” and “prevent the overthrow of the existing political regime” that has been in place since 1948 when Israel became a nation.
The demonstrators, coming from all parts of the country, voiced their opposition to the recent judicial reform plan put forth by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is currently being prosecuted for multiple alleged corruption charges, and demanded his resignation.
The plan, proposed by new justice minister Yariv Levin, includes a controversial measure that would allow a majority of parliament members to overrule Supreme Court decisions that repeal any law or governmental decisions – a move that would give the executive more power in the face of regulatory decisions by the judiciary.
The demonstrations in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem, which stood at a combined estimated 2,000 people, were the largest the country had seen in years. The gathering in Tel Aviv alone filled Habima square and the nearby streets with protesters bearing Israel flags, umbrellas to fight off the cold winter rain, and posters against Netanyahu himself.
Although police on the scene warned of possible violence in light of the size of the crowd, the protest remained peaceful and non-eventful through its duration.
