Thousands join Israeli judicial protests in shadow of attacks
Tens of thousands of Israelis joined protests on Saturday against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to tighten controls on the Supreme Court, despite heightened security worries after two deadly attacks a day earlier.
The latest in a series of protests against the plans, which were paused last month in the face of a wave of strikes and mass demonstrations, come as Israel faces a sharp rise in tensions on several fronts during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Reuters reported.
The demonstration came a day after a car-ramming attack on the city’s seafront killed an Italian visitor and injured seven other tourists.
Violence has surged since Israeli police stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque in Al-Quds on Wednesday after they claimed Palestinians barricaded themselves inside.
The assaults on worshippers were followed by rocket barrages into Israel and Israeli strikes into Gaza and Southern Lebanon.
On Thursday, more than 30 rockets were fired from Lebanese soil into Israel, which the Israeli army blamed on Palestinian groups, saying it was most likely Hamas.
Also on Sunday, Israeli jets hit Syrian military targets, Israel’s military said, as violence flared again following cross-border exchanges of fire during the week.
Pope Francis underlined his “deep concern” over a flare-up in tensions between Israel and Palestinians, as he led Easter Mass on Sunday.
Israelis were also on edge after a car-ramming in Tel Aviv on Friday that killed an Italian man and wounded five other tourists, hours after a gun attack killed two Israeli sisters and wounded their mother near a settlement in the occupied West Bank.
Netanyahu has mobilized border police reservists and ordered the army to reinforce security positions to head off possible trouble, amid calls for calm from the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States.
In central Tel Aviv, a demonstration began with a prayer for the victims of the attacks a day earlier but protesters said they would not be put off by security worries.