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Angry protests, strikes paralyze Israel as Netanyahu resists halt to widely hated judicial reforms


JERUSALEM – MARCH 27: Israelis, carrying Israeli flags and anti-government banners, gather outside the Knesset to protest against the Israeli government’s plan to introduce judicial changes.

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Mass protests are rocking Israel, and the country’s largest labor union announced a massive strike on Monday to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s months-long effort to promote widely mocked judicial reforms that opponents say would drag the country into an autocracy.

This could be the largest wave of protests in Israel’s history.

Arnon Bar-David, leader of Israel’s Histadrut coalition, said in a televised address to Mr Netanyahu: “Stop this trial before it’s too late.” Histadrut – with 800,000 members, representing the majority of Israel’s trade unionists – has declared a “historic” general strike to “stop this judicial revolution, this madness”, Bar – David said.

Protests have taken place across Israel over the past four months, fueled by anger over controversial judicial reforms pushed by the government of Mr. Netanyahu, the most right-wing faction in Israel’s history. The planned overhaul would significantly weaken the country’s justice system and make it more difficult to remove Netanyahu, Israel’s longest serving prime minister, from power.

The proposed reforms would give executive control over the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court, as well as empower the government to override court decisions through a parliamentary majority.

Monday’s protests took on a new and arguably biggest frenzy, triggered by Mr Netanyahu’s firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for speaking out against the measures. legislation has been planned. Local news outlets are reporting that a whopping 600,000 people have taken to the streets to protest across the country.

“600,000 rallies is an extraordinary number. It means about[imately] 6.5% of Israel’s population will be protesting tonight, many literally waking up from their beds when they heard Bibi fired Gallant,” Monica Marks, professor of Middle Eastern politics at NYU Abu Dhabi, wrote on Twitter. % of countries that object? Sincere question.”

Earlier on Monday, President Isaac Herzog – whose position is mostly ceremonial and non-political – put on twitter to call on the administration to interrupt its judicial review.

“For the unity of the people of Israel, for the responsibility, I call on you to immediately stop the legislative process,” he said, according to a Google translation.

“I call on the heads of all Knesset factions, coalitions and opposition alike, to put the citizens of the country above all else, and to act responsibly and courageously, without delay. later. Be sober now! This is not a political moment, this is a time for leadership and accountability.”

On Sunday, Netanyahu’s office dismissal announcement by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who opposed the proposal, prompting the protests to escalate.

“We must all stand strong against denial,” Netanyahu say on Twitter at the time of the announcement, without mentioning Gallant directly.

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