Israeli police deployed water cannons and arrested 55 people overnight in a protest in Jerusalem against the country’s accused prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
A few thousand people had gathered in the city for what have become frequent protests against Benjamin Netanyahu.
The prime minister, who is facing an ongoing corruption trial including a serious bribery charge, is fighting public discontent after a recent spike in the number of Covid infections.
Protesters have gathered near Netanyahu’s official residence on Balfour Street in recent weeks. On Thursday night, the last day of the work week in Israel, most of the young men in masks and headscarves gathered at a nearby intersection for a predominantly peaceful protest, including a small open-air orchestra performance.
Several hours later, there was a confrontation, with the police trying to disperse the protesters, some of whom stood firm. Authorities later drove large white trucks into the area and turned water cannons into the crowd. Protesters complained they were detained even when they tried to leave.
Officers arrested 55 people for causing public disorder and disturbances, a police spokesman said. Many people were released, but 20 appeared in court on Friday morning.
The protests against Netanyahu went on for months, mainly focused on his trial, which started in May. The prime minister is alleged to have accepted hundreds of thousands of pounds in luxury gifts from billionaire friends and intervened in media legislation in exchange for favorable news coverage.
Netanyahu, the first serving Israeli leader to be tried, has denied wrongdoing, alleging that he is the victim of a politically motivated witch hunt. In polls, his ruling Likud party retains significant, albeit damaged, support. Smaller meetings for Netanyahu have also been held in Jerusalem.
However, the protests against him have grown in size and frequency after a second increase in coronavirus cases in the country this summer. The government has been accused of mistreating its financial response.
Last week, the cabinet again imposed some closure measures, establishing strict weekend closings and closing gyms and indoor dining in restaurants.
Unemployment has risen above 20%, and aid packages have been slow to roll out. Netanyahu said he intended to give cash to all Israelis, but the proposal was quickly criticized for being impractical. A prominent Israeli columnist criticized the plan as the equivalent of “handing bribes to the masses.”
On Wednesday, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, passed a law that gives the government additional powers to declare a state of emergency, further angering protesters.
Israel, with a population of 9 million, has reported nearly 58,000 coronavirus cases and 442 deaths, with recent daily infection numbers increasing to nearly 2,000.
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