With Holy Week and Easter on the way, tourism in Israel has been virtually shut down.
A series of nationwide protests grew overnight into Monday and reached the airports, with David Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem International Airport temporarily grounding flights, according to ABC News.
The protests have been over the governmental decisions by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was scheduled to reveal his plan to overhaul the judiciary, a move he believed would restore balance to the system of government.
Opposition members viewed the decision as a “threat to democracy,” and tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Sources told Reuters that Netanyahu would suspend the overhaul due to the protests.
“For the sake of the unity of the people of Israel, for the sake of responsibility, I call on you to stop the legislative process immediately,” President Isaac Herzog said.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant previously spoke out against the new legislative plan, but was dismissed from his position for his stance, a move that caused fear that the government would “tighten political control over judicial appointments and allow parliament to overrule the Supreme Court.”
Counter demonstrations by supporters of the reforms were expected to be held in Jerusalem on Monday night. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir supports the legislation and said the “law is balanced and good for Israel.”
As a result of the protests, the head of the Histadrut labor union called for a general strike if the proposals were not halted.
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Source: TravelPulse
