The demonstrations were part of nationwide protests underway for more than two months against Netanyahu and his government’s contentious plan to overhaul the judiciary. His meetings were held at the airport and he did not travel to the Defense Ministry, located in the central Tel Aviv area where protests have been focused.Īssociated Press reporters Ami Bentov in Tel Aviv, Israel, and Ilan Ben Zion and Isaac Scharf in Jerusalem contributed to this report.TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to be airlifted Thursday to the country’s main international airport for an overseas trip after throngs of cars and protesters prevented him from driving there. Thursday’s visit by Austin, who is on a Mideast tour, was also affected by the protests. Netanyahu’s schedule includes a meeting with Italy’s prime minister on Friday, but he does not return until Saturday night. Some pundits questioned why Netanyahu was flying to Italy for three days at a time of deep national crisis, suggesting the couple were actually traveling to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Netanyahu and his wife have gained notoriety for enjoying lavish lifestyles and living off the largesse of taxpayers and wealthy supporters. Those protests ended with Netanyahu’s wife Sara being extracted from a ritzy Tel Aviv hair salon where demonstrators had gathered after catching wind of her presence. Thursday’s demonstration in Tel Aviv, the country’s business center and its liberal heartland, was not nearly as large as one last week, when police cracked down on what had otherwise been peaceful protests, lobbing stun grenades and scuffling with demonstrators. The shooting came hours after an Israeli military raid killed three Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank, the latest violence in a year-long wave of Israel-Palestinian fighting that shows no signs of slowing. Police said Avichai Eshed was being reassigned.Įshed declined to discuss the matter while speaking to reporters at the scene of a shooting attack late Thursday, when a Palestinian gunman opened fire on a crowded street in central Tel Aviv, wounding three people before he was shot and killed. Later Thursday, Ben-Gvir removed Tel Aviv’s police chief over what he felt was a weak response to the protests, according to Israeli media. While some former top commanders have identified with the protesters, a group of 36 retired generals, including two former chiefs of staff, released a new letter saying the army must remain above politics.Ĭritics say Ben-Gvir, a key ally in Netanyahu’s coalition government who has dubbed the protesters “anarchists”, is trying to politicize the police. “Unionizing to synchronize absence from service, though coming from good intentions, is forbidden,” said Maj. Gilad Peled, until further notice, saying he had organized a pilots’ protest. Later Thursday, the military said it suspended a pilot, identified in Israeli media as Col. The rift has affected Israel’s military, which is seeing unprecedented opposition from within its own ranks. Beyond the protests, which have drawn tens of thousands of Israelis to the streets and recently became violent, opposition has surged from across society, with business leaders and legal officials speaking out against what they say will be the ruinous effects of the plan. The uproar over Netanyahu’s legal overhaul has plunged Israel into one of its worst domestic crises. It undermines our democratic foundations,” he said. Herzog, whose role as president is supposed to be as a unifying force and largely above politics, said the draft promoted by Netanyahu should be dropped immediately. “What is happening here is a tragedy,” he said as protests continued late into the evening. Israel’s figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, who has been trying to mediate a compromise between Netanyahu’s allies and the opposition, appealed for a solution in a televised speech late Thursday. The helicopter ride, while avoiding snarling traffic triggered by the protest, could deepen Netanyahu’s reputation as being out of touch with Israelis at a time when the economy is slowing and the country finds itself torn apart over the government’s plan. Demonstrators made blocking Netanyahu’s airport route Thursday a centerpiece of their efforts - the optics of the Israeli leader having to make alternate travel plans a win for the protest movement. TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to be airlifted Thursday to the country’s main international airport for an overseas trip after throngs of cars and protesters prevented him from driving there.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |