US involvement in sparking Israeli protests 'false': State Dept.
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State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson denies US involvement in Israeli protests after earlier US media reports about the US government funding these protests.
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Israelis opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plan set up bonfires and block a highway during a protest moments after the Israeli leader fired his defense minister, in "Tel Aviv", occupied Palestine, Sunday, March 26, 2023 (AP)
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel denied allegations accusing the United States of being implicated in instigating the protests in "Israel".
“The department supports a wide range of programming by civil society actors around the world on strengthening awareness for human rights and democratic values, but any notion that we are propping up or supporting these protests, or the initiators of them, is completely and demonstrably false,” Patel said during a press briefing.
Earlier this month, US media reported that the US government has been funding protests in "Israel" through the Movement for Quality Government group.
Read: Has Washington been funding protests against Netanyahu?
According to Patel, the State Department sent the group a "modest grant" during the Trump administration, before the most recent Israeli elections, to support an academic program for schools in occupied Al-Quds that supplemented their civic studies.
The accusations come amid protests in occupied Palestine, with Israeli occupation police officers taking drastic measures to violently disperse the protestors.
The pace of protests escalated in the last hours against the judicial reforms after the Israeli Prime Minister of the occupation government Benjamin Netanyahu earlier dismissed the Minister of Security Yoav Gallant.
Israeli media reported that over 600,000 Israeli settlers took to the streets on Sunday to protest against the judicial reforms.
Hundreds of angry settlers gathered outside Netanyahu’s house, as Israeli occupation police attempted to disperse them using water cannons.
Protesters chanting anti-government slogans also marched from Netanyahu’s home on Gaza Street toward the Israeli Knesset and the Prime Minister’s Office in occupied Al-Quds, the Israeli media said.
News outlets said that an Israeli vehicle tried to run over a group of demonstrators in "Tel Aviv". At the same time, Al Mayadeen correspondent also reported another attempt to run over demonstrators in occupied Akka.
Read: 'Israel' heading to dangerous place: Shin Bet head to Netanyahu
Israeli media revealed earlier that Security Unit 730 evacuated Netanyahu's family to the Shin Bet headquarters in occupied Al-Quds over fear for their lives as demonstrators stormed the barriers around the PM's house.
Shin Bet committed one of its biggest security failures in its history on Gaza Street in occupied Al-Quds (Netanyahu's residence), the media said.
Former officials in the Israeli security establishment said that Gallant's dismissal is "a big step on the path to dismantling the [Isaeli] army," noting that "Israel is bleeding."
The Israeli army raised the state of alert on Sunday, linking it to the loss of control on the ground as a result of the heightened tensions and the growing internal division.
Al Mayadeen correspondent noted that "the demonstrations surprised the Israeli authority, which was not ready for such a scenario."
Eitan Ben-Eliahu, a former Israeli occupation Air Force chief, considered that Netanyahu "declared civil war."
Former Israeli occupation Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned that "Israel is in greater danger than at any time" since the 1973 War.
