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More than 100,000 people protest judicial reform

“The negotiations allow Netanyahu to continue weakening the foundations of democracy.”

By World Israel News Staff

Protests against the government’s judicial reform plans took place in Tel Aviv and other Israeli cities for the 20th week on Saturday evening.

Organizers said that the main protest in Kaplan St, Tel Aviv, drew some 135,000 demonstrators.

“The government’s plan to plunder public coffers in favor of political corruption, rather than investing in the welfare of citizens, is a decisive step towards transforming Israel into a dictatorial regime,” protest organizers said in a statement, referring to the state budget, slated to be approved by the end of the month. The budget has come under fire for allocating billions to Israel’s ultra-orthodox population.

“This act is parallel to Hungary and Poland where public funds are constantly misappropriated to the regime,” they added.

Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu continues to waste time through deceptive negotiations while he gives 14 billion dollars of taxpayers’ money to his political allies,” they continued. “These corrupt actions serve as a means to facilitate the implementation of dictatorial laws.

“The negotiations allow Netanyahu to continue weakening the foundations of democracy. We call upon opposition leader [Yair] Lapid and MK [Benny] Gantz to withdraw from these deceptive negotiations immediately.”

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“The public understands that the sword of the dictatorship is still on its neck, threatening to destroy everything we built,” protest organizers said.

Lapid defended his decision to take part in negotiations, saying: “I’m the guy who refused time after time to enter a Netanyahu government.”

“It’s always difficult to do deals with him, it’s a problem of trust.”

He also charged the government of not doing anything to address the cost of living.

“They are using our money to destroy our children’s future. Our children will now need to support the children who don’t study core subjects,” Lapid told Channel 12 news, referencing children in ultra-Orthodox schools.