Thousands of Israelis demonstrate in Tel Aviv against Netanyahu

A police spokesperson spoke of several hundred participants, while the media spoke of thousands. The “Black Flags” movement warns of an erosion of democracy under Netanyahu. Protesters also protested the coalition agreement between Netanyahu and his rival, Benny Gantz, of the Blue and White Center Alliance.

In a speech, Karmi Gillon, a former Shin Bet head of domestic intelligence, asked Netanyahu to “stop the aggressive smear campaign against Supreme Court justices,” according to media reports. Gillon warned that if a judge were killed, Netanyahu would be responsible. In this regard, he recalled the assassination of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a Jewish fanatic in November 1995. Even then he warned Netanyahu, but he had not heard it.

Netanyahu has classified a corruption charge against him as an attempted coup and has repeatedly criticized the Israeli judiciary. On Monday, he and his rival Gantz agreed to form a “national emergency government.” This should allow a coalition to form after a year and a half of political paralysis and three parliamentary elections. Both parties had repeatedly pointed out the tense situation in the country due to the Corona crisis. Gantz had long rejected a coalition with Netanyahu on corruption charges.

The “Black Flags” movement sees Netanyahu’s continued rule as a threat to democracy in the country. They often demonstrate with vehicles on which they place black flags as a symbol of danger.