Protests intensify in Israel after Netanyahu rejects deal offer
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Demonstrators in Jerusalem drew red lines on the streets leading to the Supreme Court in protest. At the same time, a convoy of boats was seen blocking the shipping route on the beach in Haifa. There were also reports of protesters blocking roads in several other cities.
Tel Aviv. Protests intensified in several cities across the country on Thursday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a compromise offer aimed at resolving a standoff over his plans to reform the judicial system. Demonstrators in Jerusalem drew red lines on the streets leading to the Supreme Court in protest. At the same time, a convoy of boats was seen blocking the shipping route on the beach in Haifa. There were also reports of protesters blocking roads in several other cities. Last week, protesters blocked a road leading to the country’s main international airport, forcing Netanyahu, who was on an official trip to Italy, to reach the airport by helicopter.
The protesters who blocked the road were holding placards in their hands, on which it was written – ‘Don’t come back!’ Millions of protesters in Israel are taking part in weekly protests every Saturday against the Netanyahu government. Protesters have been further angered by Netanyahu’s rejection of a compromise offer made by President Isaac Herzog. Herzog offered the deal to Netanyahu in a televised address on Wednesday. He took this step amid more than two months of protests in the country against the Netanyahu government’s proposal to change the judicial system.
Herzog said that he had held extensive consultations with various sections of society, which concluded that an agreement was necessary to preserve Israel’s existence. The president cautioned, “Whoever thinks that a real civil war is a line of human life that we will never reach, has no idea that we have come very close to that dreadful state. ” However, Netanyahu took no time in turning down Herzog’s offer. Talking to reporters at the airport before boarding a plane for Germany, he said, “Unfortunately, the coalition partners did not agree to the provisions that the President put forward in the agreement. And the core elements of his proposal only maintain the status quo and do not strike the necessary balance between the branches. This is an unfortunate truth.”
Netanyahu’s plan to reform the judicial system would give Israel’s parliament the power to overturn Supreme Court decisions and appoint judges. The Netanyahu government argues that the long-pending provision aims to reduce the widespread influence of judges. However, Netanyahu’s critics say that this provision will prove to be helpful in establishing the monopoly of Netanyahu and his government on power. Critics also allege that Netanyahu, who is facing corruption, has introduced this proposal to avoid the clutches of the law.
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