Israelis block highways and airport to protest Netanyahu's judicial reform

Police arrested a demonstrator in Jerusalem as protests erupted across the country Photo: Yoram Bieberman/Alamy Live News

Israeli protesters blocked highways and gathered at the Tel Aviv airport on Tuesday as they stepped up resistance to Benjamin Netanyahu's planned judicial reforms.

Dozens of people were arrested, police said, who used water cannons and deployed mounted officers to disperse demonstrators in the commercial capital of Tel Aviv .

The plan, announced in January by Mr. Netanyahu's government, has split the nation and sparked one of the largest protest movements in the country in history, with weekly demonstrations, often involving tens of thousands of people.

Protests erupted across the country after as Parliament passed the package's key clause on first reading on Monday evening. .

Demonstrators blocked roads across Israel and gathered at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, where thousands of protesters were reported by local media.

Police reported more than 70 arrests across Israel.

Israeli police arrested at least 70 demonstrators across the country on highways and at the Tel Aviv airport. Credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS Israeli police disperse protesters blocking the highway leading to Jerusalem. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP

“This is the last chance we have to fight this destruction [of] Israeli democracy,” said Yair Bortinger, 47, who works in the tech industry.

“We show everyone that we are the strength, to be reckoned with,” he added at the airport terminal, where crowds blew horns and waved Israeli flags.

Elsewhere, demonstrators stopped traffic on the highways between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Protest organizers said dozens of rallies would be held across the country.

The latest parliamentary vote was to remove the «reasonableness» clause, which allows the judiciary to overturn government decisions.

Tuesday was declared 'failure day' against the judicial reform of Benjamin Netanyahu. Credit: RONEN ZVULUN/REUTERS

Under the measure, in January Netanyahu was forced to remove Aryeh Deri of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish party Shas from his cabinet following a previous conviction for tax evasion. .

The proposals will also give the government a greater say in the appointment of judges.

Speaking in parliament during an overnight debate, Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition, vowed that the bill would not pass the second and third reading.

After stiff opposition and mounting international criticism, including from US President Joe Biden, Mr. Netanyahu ordered a «pause» in March to negotiate the proposals. .