Protesters disrupt Miki Zohar speech on Day of Disruption
(Iran International )
Thousands of demonstrators protested the government's judicial legislation in numerous areas of the country on Thursday evening clashing at times with police, counter-demonstrators and ministers.
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In Tel Aviv, hundreds gathered outside the home of former Chief Justice Aharon Barak who has become a symbol of the ills of the court system, in the eyes of the coalition of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters.
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Protesters outside the home of retired chief Justice Aharon Barak
(Photo: Roni Levinson)
The anti-government demonstrators chanted "Democracy" and "Shame" their signature calls in their nearly 18-week protest of the government.
A counter-demonstration by supporters of the legislation gathered also gathered there. Barak once explained the lack of representation of Judges originating in North Africa or the Arab world when he said he could not find a Moroccan judge.
In a twist, Netanyahu dispatched his close ally Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer to Barak to discuss a compromise to the legislative push that has launched the protests.
Protesters also disrupted the speeches of two Likud Party ministers at the Center for Iranian Culture in Holon where Culture Minister Miki Zohar said he was proud to live in a country where he spoke meters away from protesters and no one feared violence. When he tried to engage with the demonstrators, he was met with chants, but the speeches were ultimately able to be given.
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Culture Minister Miki Zohar attempts to engage with protesters
(Photo: Iran International)
Thursday was declared a "Day of Equality," directed towards ultra-Orthodox symbols such as the Tel Aviv Rabbinate, as thousands blocked roads and demonstrated from the early morning hours all over the country, clashing with police although no violence was reported.
Netanyahu temporarily halted the legislation of his prosed reform of the justice system while talks were held between coalition and opposition teams to attempt to reach an agreement that would satisfy his coalition partners and the opposition.
The prime minister has come under fire from parties in his government who including the Ultra-Orthodox factions who seek laws exempting their sector from compulsory military service, a law that would likely be struck down by the Supreme Court on the basis of inequality.
They threatened to prevent Netanyahu from passing a budget bill which he must do before the end of May or see his coalition fail and snap elections, called.