(Jerusalem) Several thousand demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem on Saturday in front of the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, indicted for corruption, to demand his resignation, an AFP journalist noted on the spot.
France Media Agency
Similar demonstrations have multiplied in recent weeks against "government corruption", sometimes degenerating into violent clashes with the police.
But, according to Israeli media, Saturday's demonstration was the largest, with more than 5000 demonstrating.
The protesters demand the resignation of Mr. Netanyahu, indicted for corruption, fraud and breach of trust in three cases.
They also denounce what they see as the Prime Minister's mismanagement of the novel coronavirus epidemic and his "attacks on democracy."
"Corrupt, we've had enough of you", "Disconnected (from reality) we've had enough of you", "Where are the moral? values ? what a waste ", could one read on the signs held up by the demonstrators.
"The government is corrupt [...] I would like the Prime Minister to go to jail", believes Mayaan, 27 years, technically unemployed graphic designer waving a large Israeli flag.
For Eran Feitelson, professor of geography, aged 63 years, "the government and the Prime Minister have completely failed".
"He (Benyamin Netanyahu) used the corona crisis [...] to stay in power [...] He won't resign unless we push him out and that's what we'll have to do in the end, "he says.
Protesters also criticize a law passed this week which gives the government special powers to fight COVID - 16 until June 2021 by limiting parliamentary control over the decisions of the executive.
During the last rallies, the police dispersed the demonstrators with water cannons, injuring several of them.
For the first time, several hundred protesters also gathered on Saturday evening in front of Mr. Netanyahu's residence in the coastal city of Caesarea, where the prime minister and his family were staying over the weekend, according to the officials. media.
As in previous weeks, several thousand Israelis also demonstrated in Tel Aviv and other cities in the country to protest against the government's health and economic management of the crisis, often deemed erratic.
After successfully stemming the spread of the epidemic in March and April, Israel is now one of the fastest growing countries.
The government is in the hot seat, accused of reopening the economy too quickly and of being unable to take consistent action to slow the contamination.
Israel has officially registered more than 48 000 0 contaminations and 455 deaths. More than a thousand new cases of contamination have been discovered daily in recent times.
The social unrest also concerns the economic aspect of the health crisis. Many Israelis who are unemployed or have reduced livelihoods accuse the government of not doing enough to help them.
