Protests Against Netanyahu’s Power Grab Gather Strength

At the same time as the violence in the West Bank was escalating last week, the mass demonstrations among Israelis against the Netanyahu government’s so-called judicial reform continued, and even rose to new levels of confrontation between the protesters and Israeli authorities. On June 29, protesters targeted the homes of MKs and ministers supporting the reform legislation. July 1 saw the 26th consecutive week of the weekly protests. Estimates of the number of protesters ranged around 150-200,000 in 150 different locations throughout Israel. On July 3, protesters disrupted operations at Ben Gurion Airport, causing chaos in the terminals and on the roads leading to the airport.