Israelis protest against Netanyahu despite coronavirus lockdown

Thousands of Israelis have gathered anew in Jerusalem to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a day after the country tightened its lockdown aimed at stemming surging coronavirus cases. Long processions of cars carrying people from throughout the country caused traffic jams in the city, with hundreds of small protests held at bridges and junctions nationwide. According to reports from Israeli media, protesters also gathered in Tel Aviv and Caesarea – as well as online – and organisers were quoted as saying that around 16,000 joined the demonstrations in person. Israel began a second nationwide lockdown on September 18 in a bid to bring down the world’s highest coronavirus infection rate per capita. On Friday, restrictions were tightened further, including limiting international travel and attending indoor prayers. But lawmakers blocked a government proposal that would have limited protest gatherings to groups of 20 or less and required that all protestors be within a kilometre of their homes. Netanyahu, in a video issued Saturday night, slammed “the populist decision in parliament to cancel the limitations the government imposed after we saw the rise in the infections”. Protesters on Saturday said the government’s attempt to block them was one motivation for them coming out on the streets. “I came here for the very reason that they tried to shoot down the protest,” said Adi, a 48-year-old father of three from Tel Aviv, demonstrating outside Netanyahu’s official residence. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">