Israelis step up protests after PM Netanyahu rejects compromise on judiciary overhaul
- ‘The elected government is doing a legislative blitz that aims to give absolute power to the executive,’ said a protester in Tel Aviv
- The overhaul, advanced by a prime minister who is on trial for corruption, has sparked an uproar from top legal officials, business leaders and the country’s military
Israeli protesters pressed ahead on Thursday with demonstrations against a contentious government plan to overhaul the judiciary, pushing back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he rejected a compromise proposal that was meant to defuse the crisis.
Protesters were kicking off a third day of disruption since the crisis began, with thousands of protesters blocking roads across the country, including the main highway of the seaside metropolis of Tel Aviv.
Protesters in Jerusalem drew a large red and pink streak throughout the city on streets leading to the country’s Supreme Court and a small flotilla of boats was blocking the shipping lane off the coast of the northern city of Haifa.
“The elected government is doing a legislative blitz that aims to give absolute power to the executive. And absolute power to the executive with no checks and balances is simply a dictatorship. And this is what we’re fighting against,” said Shlomit Tassa, a protester in Tel Aviv, waving an Israeli flag.