Mounted police disperse demonstrators trying to block the entrance to Israel’s main international airport.Credit:AP
Police on horseback deployed among hundreds of demonstrators in Israel’s business hub,Tel Aviv. At the entrance to Jerusalem,officers used a water cannon to disperse some protesters and dragged others away by force. At least 66 people were arrested,police said.
Around 1000 police were deployed at Ben Gurion airport,outside Tel Aviv,where thousands of protesters turned the area in front of the main entrance into a sea of blue and white Israeli flags. A spokesman for the airport said flights were not affected,despite the large crowds.
The United States,which has called for the independence of the judiciary to be protected and urged Netanyahu to try to build consensus for the proposals,said Israel should respect the right of peaceful protest.
The drive by Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition to change the justice system has led to unprecedented protests,stirred concern for Israel’s democratic health among Western allies,and bruised the economy.
Israeli police use a water cannon to disperse demonstrators.Credit:AP
“They are trying to ruin our judicial system,by putting and enforcing laws that will demolish democracy,” said Ariel Dubinsky,who joined one of the protesters in Tel Aviv.
The proposals have also alarmed investors and helped push the shekel down almost 8 per cent since January.