Israeli protesters stage ‘day of disruption’ against Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul

Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets across Israel in protest at Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition as it pressed ahead with a justice bill that many claim threatens the democratic future of the state.

On what was labelled a day of “disruption and resistance” police on horseback  were deployed among hundreds of demonstrators in Israel’s business hub, Tel Aviv. 

At the entrance to Jerusalem, officers used a water cannon to disperse some protesters and dragged others away by force. 

While 1,000 police were deployed at Ben Gurion airport, outside Tel Aviv, where thousands of protesters waved national flags and banners warning about the increasingly authoritarian government.

There were demonstrations in other cities including  Haifa, Petach Tikva, Beer Sheva, Hod Hasharon.

Police said 79 people had been arrested as violence flared at some of the protests.

Famous Israeli singer Aviv Gefen, who had appeared to move away from his left-wing stance in recent years, even apologising to settlers in the West Bank for critical comments he had made, was among those arrested at the Tel Aviv demo. 

One banner on display at the Tel Aviv demo compared Israel’s drift towards “dictatorship” with the Iranian regime in Tehran.Another said:”Rage Rage Rage Against The Dying of Democracy.”

While another warned the Netanyahu government “Hands Off Women’s Rights.”

In the UK, Israeli expats staged smaller protests outside the embassy on London’s Kensington High Street. Meanwhile there was also a demonstration staged outside Kinloss United Synagogue in Finchley, where Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely was appearing at an event.

In a speech outside the shul, protestor Matan Aderet, an Israeli living in London, said prime minister Netanyahu “is a dictator.”

To cries of “shame, shame, shame” he told a crowd of around 100 activists carrying Israeli flags outside Kinloss, “please British Jewry do not support dictatorship in Israel. British Jewry reject dictatorship.”

He slammed far-right ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich as “terrorists” and said ambassador Hotovely represented a “criminal government” and called for her to “quit your job.

The United States has called for the independence of the judiciary to be protected and urged Netanyahu to try to build consensus for the proposals. It also said Israel should respect the right of peaceful protest.

The new bill won a first of three required votes to be written into law late on Monday to the cries of “for shame” by opposition lawmakers.

If passed as is, it would curb the Supreme Court’s power to quash decisions made by the government, ministers and elected officials by ruling them unreasonable.