Israeli settlers protest before MKs homes of judicial overhaul bid
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Key leaders of the ongoing protests against the Israeli government have taken to the streets in front of the homes of the members of the ruling coalition.
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A demonstrator dressed as a character from 'The Handmaid's Tale' TV series and other demonstrators block a highway during a protest in 'Tel Aviv', occupied Palestine, July 5, 2023 (AP)
Israeli protesters have taken to the streets once again, this time with the leaders of the movement pledging to escalate starting next week, with roads blocked and rallies taking place outside the homes of the Knesset members of the ruling coalition.
The leaders on Thursday called for a demonstration "such as has never been seen before" in the occupied Palestinian territories on Tuesday, which would be one day after the Knesset is due to kickstart the plenum votes on the bill that has brought hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers to the streets over its overhaul of the judiciary, prohibiting courts from exercising judicial review over the rationale of decisions taken by the government.
The protesters reiterated their demand for no negotiations until the judicial legislation is shelved altogether, Israeli media reported.
The protests will go on the protestors would continue "exercising our democratic right to protest with all strength."
Protests took place on Thursday evening before the homes of numerous Israeli politicians, namely those belonging to Netanyahu's coalition. Among the prominent politicians are Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, who heads the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.
Others whose homes demonstrators rallied before including Likud's Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Economy Minister Nir Barkat, and Intelligence Minister Gila Gamliel, as well as near the home of occupied Al-Nakab and Al-Jalil Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf.
Moreover, the roads that were blocked include the Ayalon Highway in "Tel Aviv", as well as Route, in addition to roads near Levin's home.
Lawmakers have urged the police to take tougher measures against the protesters. The police said they arrested 15 people over protests in "Tel Aviv" on Wednesday, with Israeli media reporting that they were released the following day.
Even calls from within the establishment are opposing the cabinet, with former Prime Minister and IOF Chief of Staff Ehud Barak calling on pilots and other elite military caders to refuse to continue serving in the occupation's forces if the overhaul bid passes.
Israeli media reports that “hundreds of reservists in the operational units of the Israeli Air Force have suspended their voluntary service until the judicial reforms are stopped.
"When a law like that passes a first reading [in the Knesset], it is passed in order to prepare it for its second and third [final] readings. That marks the sounding of an alarm, a genuine alarm for the entire country," Barak told Israeli Channel 12.
"I expect the pilots, the Military Intelligence Special Operations Division, to all repeat their warning: Netanyahu, watch out, the minute you try to turn the first reading into an actual law, we will not serve a dictatorship. Period," he added.
This comes after thousands of Israelis took to the streets in "Tel Aviv" on Wednesday evening to protest Netnayahu's decision to sack the settlement's police chief Amichai Eshid.
Eshid's announcement brought thousands to the streets, with Israeli media saying they marched toward the "Ayalon Highway" and blocked the major road in both directions, which resulted in a traffic jam amid violent clashes with security forces.
The security agency deployed officers mounted on horses in attempts physically force settlers away from the road, while also using high-pressure water cannons, as Israelis lit up fires in the middle of the highway.
Read more: For 25th week, tens of thousands of Israeli settlers rally against gov
Israeli media said a settler rammed demonstrators who were blocking "Kaplan Street" in "Tel Aviv", which resulted in several injuries.
The streets of "Tel Aviv" have been witnessing angry protests for months against the Netanyahu government's judicial overhaul for months.
Several other locations have been announced as main protests including "Haifa, Al-Quds, Ashdod, Beersheba, Karkur, Beit Shemesh, Netanya, and Karmiel."
Protests continued even amid the large-scale aggression that was launched on Jenin, as Monday evening saw a large number of settlers gathering at the Ben Gurion Airport and Haifa port.
One of the main figures representing the anti-judicial reforms movement warned that the opposition will not allow shutting down their protests using the pretext of aggression on Jenin.
