Thousands of “Israelis” Protest Outside US Offices in Tel Aviv

By Staff, Agencies

Thousands of “Israeli” settlers have gathered outside the main US diplomatic office in Tel Aviv, calling upon the US to condemn “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to overhaul the entity’s judiciary.

The gathering came days after US President Joe Biden called members of Netanyahu's far-right government “extreme” and said that supporters of the “Israeli” entity's West Bank settlements were “part of the problem”.

Netanyahu's allies, who comprise the most far-right “Israeli” government ever, have proposed a series of changes to the “Israeli” legal system aimed at weakening what they say are the excessive powers of unelected judges.

The proposed changes include giving Netanyahu's allies control over the appointment of judges and the power to overturn court decisions they do not support. Protesters say the plan will destroy the entity’s fragile system of checks and balances and concentrate power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies.

Protesters, who are now in their seventh month of demonstrations, fear that Netanyahu's plans will strain the entity’s close alliance with the US. Standing outside the US Embassy Branch Office, they waved American flags and brandished signs reading "SOS" and "Mayday!"

The overhaul has drawn consternation from Biden and American Jews. On Sunday, Biden told CNN that the “Israeli” entity’s current government has some "of the most extreme members" he has ever seen and criticized their support for West Bank settlements, built on occupied lands sought by the Palestinians for a future state. He also urged Netanyahu to show "moderation" with the so-called "judicial overhaul".

“Israeli” hardliners rejected Biden's criticism. The “Israeli” entity’s Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a firebrand settler leader, said that the entity is "no longer another star in the American flag."

Biden has so far declined to invite Netanyahu to the White House, normally a standard courtesy extended to “Israeli” leaders.

The entity’s figurehead president, Isaac Herzog, is set to visit Washington next week, and has been invited to address a joint session of Congress on July 19 to celebrate the entity’s 75^th anniversary.

Thursday's protest in Tel Aviv was joined by others across the entity, including at Netanyahu's home in al-Quds [Jerusalem] and his seaside villa in the town of Caesarea.

The “Israeli” Knesset’s vote on Tuesday to move forward with a bill that would limit the so-called “Supreme Court's” oversight powers has given new momentum to the protests, which have swept the entity since January. Protesters this week blocked major highways and disrupted operations at the entity’s main airport, and more protests are planned this weekend.

Wide swaths of “Israeli” society, including reserve military officers, business leaders and other minority groups, have joined the protests.

Netanyahu's government says it wants to pass parts of the legislation by the end of the month.