Israel Police Use Stun Grenades, Tear Gas Against Protesters During 'Day of Disruption'

Protesters across Israel on Wednesday took part in a national “Day of Disruption” against the government’s proposal for judicial reform, with police deploying tear gas, water cannons and stun grenades in an attempt to disperse the crowds blocking major highways and disrupting train services.

Protests took place in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba, and other cities throughout Israel. At least 40 people have been arrested, some for attacking police officers.

“Violence against police officers, such as throwing stones and objects at police officers is, for me, crossing a line, which we will not allow,” police chief Kobi Shabtai said.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees Israel’s police, said protesters who were disrupting traffic on roads and highways would be removed by police.

“The blocking of central roads must not be allowed, and all of the anarchists’ blockades must be opened,” he said. “I am in favor of democratic protest, but we will not allow civil riots and we will not allow anarchists to block major roads.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused opposition leader MK Yair Lapid of encouraging anarchy.

“It is forbidden to hit police officers, it is forbidden to disrupt the routine life of the country, to block roads,” Netanyahu said.

Lapid “doesn’t want to reach an agreement, he didn’t answer our calls for dialogue, which we keep making and which are in good faith; he wants to prevent that, to bring about a constitutional crisis and by that means, he hopes to get new elections,” Netanyahu said.

Protesters baited the main highway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem with barbed wire and chains and prevented train doors from closing.

Transportation Minister Miri Regev tweeted that “Israeli citizens are not your hostages.”

“A barbed wire fence, roadblocks, tampering with doors and stopping trains, damage to the economy, and risk to human life,” she wrote.”These are not demonstrations, this is an attempted coup by lawbreaking anarchists!”

“The reform is just a poor excuse for the inability of the media and the left to accept the law of the voters,” she continued. “The people are sovereign, not bureaucrats or a bunch of failed and disgruntled politicians. We are here to stay. Get used to it.”

Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee chairman MK Simcha Rothman, the two architects of the judicial reform, said they would answer a call for dialogue by opposition MK and former defense minister Benny Gantz, but would only do so without preconditions.

“Gantz — let’s set a place and time and sit and talk. Without preconditions,” the two said in a joint statement.

Gantz called for the immediate cessation of steps to advance the judicial reform, warning the country was spiraling toward civil war.

Last week, the first of three readings of a bill that would grant the ruling coalition more control over the appointment of judges was passed.

Many in Netanyahu’s ruling coalition believe the judicial reform proposals would correct a power grab by the Supreme Court and restore a balance of power to the executive branch. Apart from the appointment of justices, the proposals, presented early last month by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, also call for cancelling the so-called “reasonableness measure” by which the Supreme Court can strike down any law or government action it deems “unreasonable.”

For example, the court ruled it “unreasonable” to allow religious Jews to pray on the Temple Mount – Judaism’s holiest site – because doing so would anger the Arab world.

The reform would also see an amendment to the so-called override clause, enabling the Knesset to re-legislate laws that the Supreme Court had struck down, pending a 61-MK majority.