Tens of Thousands Protest against Government Corruption in Tel Aviv

Tens of thousands gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday night, December 9, for an anti-corruption demonstration directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, currently being investigated in two graft probes, amidst intense efforts by his far-right government to push through the so-called police “recommendations bill.”

A demonstrator participating in last Saturday night’s anti-corruption protest in Tel Aviv carries one of Hadash’s anti-government placards: “When the government is against the people, the people are against the government.”

A demonstrator participating in last Saturday night’s anti-corruption protest in Tel Aviv carries one of Hadash’s anti-government placards: “When the government is against the people, the people are against the government.” (Photo Zu Haderech)

Netanyahu’s close political ally and chairman of the coalition, MK David Bitan, was also grilled at length by police this past week over separate allegations of bribery and links with organized crime when he served as deputy mayor of Rishon Lezion, near Tel Aviv. Bitan is a key proponent of the controversial “recommendations bill.”

The Saturday night protesters called for Netanyahu’s resignation and for all corrupt officials to go home. They shouted “shame” and “capitalist mafia” and carried signs railing against alleged government corruption, and led chants against Netanyahu and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit who is currently shielding the prime minister from indictment.

The leaders of the weekly anti-corruption demonstrations, which have been held near Mandelblit’s home in Petah Tikva every Saturday night for the past year, organized this latest protest in Tel Aviv, the second held in this venue in past two weeks. Hundreds of supporters of Hadash, the Communist Party of Israel and members of the Young Communist League took part in the protest, carrying red flags and hundreds of signs, along with MK Dov Khenin (Hadash – Joint List).

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