Israelis defy protest ban to keep up pressure on Netanyahu
Thousands of Israelis protested across the country on Saturday, flouting a new law meant to curb anti-government demonstrations during a coronavirus lockdown.
The street protests, just three days after parliament approved an edict to limit the scope of such demonstrations, kept pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the coronavirus crisis and over allegations of corruption, which he denies.
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The new law passed on Wednesday bans Israelis from holding demonstrations more than 1km from their homes and forces stricter social distancing, a measure the government said was aimed at curbing Covid-19 infections. Critics have called it a blow to freedom of speech and say it is aimed at silencing protests against Netanyahu.
Most protests on Saturday night were small and scattered throughout the country, though a crowd of thousands gathered in Tel Aviv. A small number of protesters scuffled with police and tried to block city streets. About 15 people were arrested, a police spokesman said.
Protesters seemed to be widely using protective masks, but a police statement said they were intentionally breaching social distancing rules and those limiting numbers. Police did not give an estimate on how many were involved.
On Friday, Tourism Minister Asaf Zamir, of the centrist Blue and White party, quit Netanyahu's coalition government over the restrictions.
Announcing his decision on Twitter, he said that Netanyahu was more concerned about his ongoing corruption trial and the growing public protest than about fighting a second wave of Covid-19.
"I am not willing to put up for another minute with a reality in which the right to demonstrate is restricted," he wrote. "Therefore I must follow my conscience."
Zamir wrote on his Facebook page: "Even at its most difficult time, Netanyahu runs the country according to his own political interest."
'We joined the government to rein in the coronavirus, not to curb democracy or the rule of law'
- Blue and White leader Benny Gantz
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz named the party's Orit Farkash Hacohen to replace Zamir and the coalition did not seem to be in immediate danger, although commentators speculated that other resignations could follow.
"We joined the government to rein in the coronavirus, not to curb democracy or the rule of law," Gantz said.
The new regulations bar demonstrators from travelling more than 1km to attend protests, but the Haaretz newspaper reported on Friday that apps had sprouted on social media giving users locations of protests near their homes.
The new law gives the government powers to declare a "special emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic" for renewable periods of one week.
With over 260,000 coronavirus infections confirmed so far and over 1,600 deaths in a population of nine million, Israel currently has the world's highest weekly infection rate per capita.
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