EYEWITNESS REPORT: 11 arrests as mass demonstrations continue across Israel

Tens of thousands of Israelis protested across the country on Thursday, blocking highways and roads in an attempt to force the government to halt its judicial reforms aimed at weakening the High Court of Justice.

Hundreds of police officers and soldiers were again heavily deployed in Tel Aviv to prevent demonstrators blocking the Ayalon Highway.

After hundreds of protesters managed to break through the blockade, police used force to remove them and clear the highway for traffic again. 11 people were arrested for disturbing public order.

“The first victims of these reforms will be the minorities, because they will make sure our civil rights aren’t protected anymore. When I speak to those who support it, they’re saying ‘no they won’t pass any extremist laws.’ You’re trusting the good will of the government? People in power do crazy things,” one protester told Jewish News at the demonstration.

Jewish News also spoke to a group of counter demonstrators from the West Bank who came to show their support for the government at the Tel Aviv rally.

“The High Court barely has any right-wing justices. It’s full of left-wingers. The court has prevented the government repeatedly from dealing with the troubles caused in south Tel Aviv by African refugees, just to give you an example. It can’t be like that. The Knesset is elected by the people, therefore they should be in charge,” said 21-year-old Yuval.

The High Court does, however, have several conservative judges, some of whom were appointed by former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, one of the most right-wing politicians in Israel.

On Wednesday, President Herzog once again warned that Israel might be on its way to a civil war if a compromise isn’t found over the controversial reforms, which he himself has criticised for being undemocratic.

National Unity party leader Benny Gantz issued a similar warning on Thursday, urging Prime Minister Netanyahu to begin negotiations over the reforms to “prevent a civil war in Israel.”

“Extremists in the government are tearing us apart from the inside,” Gantz said.

Several incidents of violence have been reported in recent weeks, including at today’s rally in Tel Aviv with two separate incident of protestors being pepper sprayed by assailants, who got out of their cars and attacked them, according to Haaretz.

In Jerusalem, students and professors from the Hebrew University also took part in a demonstration against the government’s reforms. A similar protest by academics took place in Haifa, where students and lecturers from the city’s university blocked a major intersection.

While President Herzog’s proposal for a judicial compromise was shut down by the government on Wednesday, Likud lawmaker David Bitan became the first coalition member to publicly call on freezing the legislative blitz.

Bitan said a freeze is necessary to “calm the country and that a delay in the reforms “isn’t a problem.” Other government officials, including Justice Minister Yariv Levin, have refused to slow down the process “for one second.”