Thousands of Israelis protested outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, demanding his resignation when the government is criticized for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some banners carried by protesters on Tuesday said “Netanyahu’s corruption makes us sick” and “Netanyahu, resign.”
“The deadliest virus is not COVID-19, but corruption,” protester Laurent Cige, who came from Tel Aviv to participate, told the AFP news agency.
Netanyahu was charged in January with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three cases.
In May, he forged a new unity government after more than a year of political turmoil, and insisted that the charges were falsified to remove him from office.
The next trial date in the Jerusalem District Court is July 19.
Under Israeli law, a serving prime minister must only resign if convicted of a criminal offense with all appeals exhausted, which in Netanyahu’s case could take several years.
A protester is detained by the Israeli police during a demonstration in Jerusalem. [Menahem Kahana/AFP]
Growing discontent
Protesters criticized Israel’s handling of the new coronavirus pandemic, as the health ministry announced more than 1,400 new cases registered in the past 24 hours.
On Monday, the police dispersed a group of activists who set up tents outside Netanyahu’s official residence.
Thousands also protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday to express frustration with the prime minister and his economic policies.
Netanyahu also faces a growing wave of discontent over his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Israel is now experiencing a sharp increase in coronavirus cases and the economy is struggling as unemployment remains above 20 percent.
The country of some 9 million people has recorded more than 41,200 cases of coronavirus, including 368 deaths.
After receiving widespread praise for quickly sealing Israel’s borders in March and imposing other restrictions, Netanyahu acknowledged last week that he reopened the economy too quickly.
The government lifted some restrictions in late May, but announced new ones last week, such as the closing of bars, clubs and gyms.
Israel’s unemployment rose from 3.4 percent in February to 27 percent in April, before falling slightly in May to 23.5 percent.
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