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For the fifth consecutive week, thousands of people protested on Saturday in Tel Aviv and in some twenty Israeli cities against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which brings together right-wing parties, extreme right-wing parties and ultra-Orthodox Jews.
Fifth week in a row. Thousands of people demonstrated again on Saturday, February 4 in the center of Tel Aviv against the controversial judicial reforms planned by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Waving the blue and white Israeli flag, the crowd took to Kaplan Street in the city center, carrying banners that read that the new government is a “threat to world peace.” Another banner called for “save Israeli democracy from Netanyahu.”
Demonstrations have been held every Saturday night since Netanyahu’s government took office in December.
According to local media, rallies were held in 20 cities across the country on Saturday, with tens of thousands of people gathering in Tel Aviv.
Asked by the AFP news agency, the Israeli police did not give figures on the number of protesters.
“Reclaim” the flag
A 44-year-old protester, Dania Shwartz, told AFP that the protesters were “reclaiming” the Israeli flag.
“If you look around you, there are many Israeli flags and for many years the Israeli flag has been a symbol of the right, without reason (…) We are patriots and we want this country to continue to exist. Israeli flags belong to all of us , it is not a question of being on the right or on the left,” he said.
“This new government will try to pass laws that will affect my children,” he added.
“We will save our country because we don’t want to live in a non-democratic country,” said former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, who was among the crowd of protesters on Saturday night, according to a video posted on social media.
judicial reform
Benjamin Netanyahu returned in December to lead a government that combines parties of the right, extreme right and ultra-Orthodox Jews, the most right-wing in the history of Israel.
In early January, Justice Minister Yariv Levin announced a reform bill that includes the introduction of a “however” clause allowing Parliament to overturn a Supreme Court decision by a simple majority.
This reform aims to increase the power of elected officials over the judiciary and, according to its critics, endangers the democratic nature of the State of Israel.
Also in January, Benjamin Netanyahu was forced, under pressure from the Justice, to dismiss the number two in the government, Arie Dery, convicted of tax fraud.
At the end of December, the deputies approved a text called “Dery law” by the press, which allows a person convicted of a crime, but not a prison sentence, to form part of the Government.
The Supreme Court criticized the law, stating that the appointment of Arie Dery was “in serious contradiction with the fundamental principles of the rule of law.”
Benjamin Netanyahu himself is on trial for corruption in several cases and his trial is ongoing. In Israel, the prime minister does not enjoy immunity from prosecution, but he does not have to resign or resign during his trial.
The government has also announced its intention to carry out a settlement expansion policy in the occupied West Bank, as well as social reforms that have concerned the LGBTQ community.
*With AFP; adapted from its original in French
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