Thousands of people demonstrated on Tuesday evening July 14 in Jerusalem against the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, accused of corruption in several cases, demanding his resignation. “Netanyahu’s corruption makes us sick”, “Netanyahu, resignation”, could be read on the signs brandished by the demonstrators outside the Prime Minister’s residence, noted journalists from Agence France-Presse (AFP).
One of the organizers of the demonstration, the general of reserve Amir Haskel, had called the public to come especially on July 14, “231e anniversary of the French Revolution “, for “To demand freedom, equality and fraternity”. Many police forces oversaw the rally. The demonstrators wore masks, but without taking into account the compulsory physical distances. “The deadliest virus is not Covid-19 but corruption”, said AFP Laurent Cige, who came from Tel Aviv to participate in the demonstration.
Pandemic management
Indicted for corruption, fraud and breach of trust in three cases, Mr. Netanyahu is at the heart of a trial whose next hearing is scheduled for July 19. According to Israeli law, the Prime Minister is not required to resign if charged, but only if convicted of a crime after exhausting all appeal procedures, which could take years.
Protesters also protested the management of the new coronavirus epidemic, while the Israeli health ministry announced that more than 1,400 new cases had been recorded since the previous day. Until recently, Israel, which has a population of around nine million, boasted of its management of the pandemic, but the number of new patients started to rise as the deconfinement began.
The government lifted restrictions in late May, but announced new ones last week, such as the closure of bars, nightclubs and gyms. Authorities have officially identified more than 41,200 patients, 368 of whom died, according to a statement released on Tuesday.
