Thousands of Israelis Protest Against Netanyahu for 25th Week
Tel Aviv, MINA – Thousands of Israeli protesters demonstrated last night for the 25th week across the country demanding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down over long-running corruption charges, WAFA reported.
Israeli media outlets said the main rallies were held outside the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem and outside his private home in the coastal city of Caesarea. Around two thousand people attended the protest in Jerusalem and several hundred attended the one in Caesarea.
Smaller demonstrations also took place at highway overpasses and junctions around the country on Saturday night. Some demonstrators at the Prime Minister’s Residence marched with torches.
One of the protest groups promised to hold a “siege” at the Prime Minister’s Residence, after 27 demonstrators were arrested at last week’s demonstration for attempting to block the entrances and exits to the home on Balfour Street, according to Israeli media.
The months-long protests began last spring when Netanyahu and his chief rival, Benny Gantz, agreed to form what they called an emergency government focused on managing the health and economic challenges stemming from the coronavirus pandemic. Their partnership has been paralyzed by infighting, and a pair of lockdowns hit the economy hard, sending unemployment skyrocketing to double-digit figures.
Netanyahu has been facing long-running charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes. His trial is scheduled to enter its evidentiary phase in January.(T/R3/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
