"National Resistance Day" begins with marches, blocked roads

Protesters against judicial overhaul blocking Road 531, July 18, 2023  credit: Nitsan Shafir
Protesters against judicial overhaul blocking Road 531, July 18, 2023 credit: Nitsan Shafir

The main effort in today's disruptions in protest against the judicial overhaul legislation will be at railway stations in the afternoon peak hour.

Another day of protests against the government’s judicial overhaul is taking place today, termed by its leaders "National Resistance Day". Today’s protests have been sparked by the bill to abolish the reasonableness standard in judicial review of decisions by elected officials, which is due to be approved by the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee this week, and to be given second and third readings by the Knesset plenum next week. Meanwhile, army reservists continue to give notice that they will stop volunteering if the legislation goes ahead, and the Israel Medical Association is considering holding a warning strike by doctors.

Demonstrations are planned throughout the day . The main effort will be at railway stations, starting at 16:00. A demonstration at Agranat Square in Jerusalem is called for 18:00, and another at the Tel Aviv branch of the US Embassy at 18:30 and at other points around the country. A large rally is due to take place in Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv this evening. The protest leaders have said that there will also be unadvertised actions aimed at disrupting the workday routine in Israel.

Road 2 northbound was blocked this morning at Rishpon and Bet Yanai. Protesters also blocked Amiad junction and Road 471, Road 531, Road 5, Road 4 at Even Yehuda, Road 6 at Elyakim junction, Road 40 at Gedera, and Ibn Gabirol Street in Tel Aviv. Demonstrators have marched to Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel) headquarters in Arlozorov Street in Tel Aviv to put pressure on Histadrut chairperson Arnon-Bar David to call a general strike.

Activists of the "Brothers and Sisters in Arms" IDF reservists and veterans organization have blocked the entrance to military headquarters in Kaplan Street, Tel Aviv.

According to the technology workers protest organization and the Economists for Democracy Forum, since the judicial overhaul legislation began, every Israeli family has lost about NIS 81,400 of its pension savings. Technology entrepreneur Dror Sal’ee, one of the leaders of the tech protests, said, "The regime coup is making investors flee, destroying the tech industry, and burning up our pensions."

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on July 18, 2023.

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd., 2023.

Protesters against judicial overhaul blocking Road 531, July 18, 2023  credit: Nitsan Shafir
Protesters against judicial overhaul blocking Road 531, July 18, 2023 credit: Nitsan Shafir
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