Protests in favor of judicial amendments burgeon in 'Tel Aviv'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen Net
30 Mar 2023 23:32

Several demonstrations in favor of the judicial amendments, involving around 300,000 settlers, have reportedly been organized in 'Tel Aviv' today.

Netanyahu attends a briefing on the coronavirus disease on September 13, 2020 (REUTERS)

Several demonstrations in favor of the judicial amendments, involving around 300,000 settlers, have reportedly been organized in 'Tel Aviv' today.

The Israeli Makan channel's website reported that the demonstrators repeated protest chants in favor of the judicial amendments, noting that some went as far as chanting in favor of violently suppressing opponents.

The website added that occupation police had blocked "Ayalon Avenue" and intensified police deployment to counteract potential violence. It was also reported that KM Almog Cohen partook in the protests.

An audio recording of one of the protestors saying, "We have to go to the media center and beat them up. We're going to storm their position and cut off their heads and break their bones. We have to burn everything. We simply go in, we break, we beat if needed - everything," was leaked according to the site.

Equivocally, the Channel 12 news website reported another demonstration in "Tel Aviv" and "Haifa" opposing the judicial amendments.

Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided Monday to suspend his cabinet's plans to reform the judiciary, though he stressed that "we will never give it up."

The decision to suspend the judicial amendments and give dialogue a chance is "at the height of a serious crisis that endangers Israeli unity," the occupation premier said. "I decided to postpone the second and third readings in the current Knesset session."

This decision came as a concession to the opposition after hundreds of thousands went out to demonstrate against his government, which led to large-scale unrest and instability.

The protests persist despite Netanyahu's symbolic concession noting that this was only a temporary suspension of the coup and not a cancellation.

Head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, Avigdor Lieberman, called on opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz to "suspend the ongoing negotiations regarding judicial amendments," stressing that "Netanyahu carried out a deceitful maneuver ... and I will not participate in that."

Opponents also slammed Netanyahu’s announced plans to establish a guard group under the supervision of extremist police minister Ben Gvir, in yesterday’s speech, deemed it as a “bomb", arguing that "it is a very dangerous matter, and it could herald terrible things."

Ben-Gvir explicitly stated on Monday that he agreed with Netanyahu to suspend the judicial reform in exchange for a pledge to greenlight the "National Guard".

US officials have reportedly said behind closed doors that the establishment of a "National Guard" to be subordinate to Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was an "insane" step, Israeli media said Thursday.

"What can be said is that the Americans, in addition to their dissatisfaction with the judicial reform plan, are also dissatisfied with the dismissal of Security Minister Yoav Gallant," a Channel 12 correspondent explained.

In light of the perspective inception of Ben-Gvir's militia and the spiking disputes in the Israeli right wing, Netanyahu sacked the occupation Security Minister Gallant who was growing skeptical of the judicial amendment.