On Saturday, protests against the judicial amendments that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to enact continued, despite his suspension of the decision last week until the summer session of the "Knesset," which ends in July. Tens of thousands took to the streets demanding a complete cancellation of the reforms.
**A Political Trick to Stop the Protests?**
Israeli media estimated that more than 150,000 participated in the anti-government protests across the country, marking the largest demonstrations seen in Tel Aviv. Emmanuel Keller, 30, stated during a protest outside the Israeli presidential residence hosting discussions, "We do not believe anything that comes out of Netanyahu's mouth. We think it's just a political trick to stop the protests." Limor Moyal, at a demonstration in Tel Aviv, emphasized, "We will win because this is not something we can live with. We cannot live in a non-democratic state."
**Supporting Protests for Netanyahu's Plan**
On the opposing side, Israeli media reported that demonstrations started today in Tel Aviv supporting the judicial amendment plan, with around 30,000 participants, accompanied by a significant police presence. The demonstrators shouted demands for the implementation of the judicial amendment project and targeted opponents of the plan, including attending journalists.
**Warning to Netanyahu: Ben Gvir Might Stage a Coup!**
Former Israeli police chief Moshe Karadi warned the Israeli government head against trusting "National Security" Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. The newspaper "Yedioth Ahronoth" reported on Saturday that Karadi claimed the "National Guard," which Netanyahu’s government intends to form under Ben Gvir, "could be used to carry out a coup." Karadi stated, "With this power, he will take over the premiership and execute a coup very soon," warning the Prime Minister against "entrusting Ben Gvir with any authority because he will use it against you someday."
Last Monday, Ben Gvir announced that he agreed to support Netanyahu's call to postpone enacting the judicial amendment in exchange for a promise to form the "long-awaited civil guard." This announcement followed reports indicating that Ben Gvir threatened to withdraw from the government amid internal conflicts that arose after mass protests accompanied by riots.
