Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence, calling for his removal before this week’s parliamentary elections.
The weekly protests against Netanyahu have been going on for nine months. But they have lost strength in recent months in part because of the cold winter weather and after the early elections were declared in December. Saturday night’s rally in central Jerusalem was the biggest in months.
The popular protest movement believes that Netanyahu cannot serve as prime minister while on trial on multiple charges of corruption. Many are also opposed to the way he handled the coronavirus crisis.
Opinion polls predict a fierce race on Tuesday, with Netanyahu and his religious and nationalist allies struggling to secure a majority of seats in the 120-member Knesset, or parliament.
If the polls are correct, Israel could face weeks of misguided negotiations and even the possibility of an unprecedented fifth consecutive election in just over two years.
Netanyahu is counting on his highly successful vaccination campaign to propel him to victory. About three-quarters of the country’s adult population has been vaccinated in less than three months, and the economy has reopened in recent weeks.
But more than 6,000 Israelis died from Covid-19, the economy has been hit hard by repeated blockages and unemployment remains in the double digits.
Many of the protesters lost their jobs or saw their businesses suffer due to repeated blockades.
“It’s in our hands,” read a sign on a giant Israeli flag. “We are saving the country. We are fighting corruption, we are the hope ”, said another banner.