Israel is confused again: Controversial resignation brought thousands of people to the streets
The resignation of Ami Eshed, Chief of Police in Tel Aviv, the Israeli capital, citing pressure he received from the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, sparked protests and events across the country, especially in Tel Aviv. .
Police Chief Ami Eshed, at the press conference where he announced his resignation, stated that he “could not meet the expectations of the ministry because he did not violate the rules, protocols, organizational structure and culture” and said: “I am paying a heavy price to avoid a civil war.
Eshed, who was previously fired by Ben-Gvir for his soft intervention in the months-long protests against the government’s controversial judicial regulation in Tel Aviv but was later reinstated, said they can “open up the Ayalon highway, the main artery of Tel Aviv , which was closed by the protesters, breaking heads and bones”, but claimed that they did not.
Shortly after Eshed announced his resignation, thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv. Protesters in Tel Aviv blocked the Ayalon highway in two directions for hours with Israeli flags, lit fires and set off fireworks on the road.
The Israeli police intervened in the events that broke out, using mounted police units, TOMA and force. A confrontation occurred between a driver who was driving his vehicle towards the protesters and the protesters because he was stuck in traffic, the police reportedly detained the driver.
CHALLENGE NEAR THE HOUSE OF NETANYAHU
The address of the demonstrations in West Jerusalem was Paris Square, near the residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The police intervened against the demonstrators using TOMA, cavalry and force.
According to Israeli media reports, groups involved in anti-government protests took to the streets in some 30 locations across the country. Police have detained at least 25 people across the country, including 15 in Tel Aviv.
After the resignation of the police chief, Ben-Gvir, the far-right wing in charge of law enforcement in Israel, stated in its social media post that the policy “sneaked into the upper levels of the force police” and that Eshed surrendered to the left and wished him success in his candidacy for a leftist party in the upcoming election campaign,” he said.
JURISDICTION UP TO THE COUNTRY
The “judicial reform” announced by Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin on January 5 includes changes such as limiting the powers of the Supreme Court and the power to have a say in judicial appointments.
Netanyahu announced on March 27 that he was postponing the court ruling, sparking growing mass protests and strikes across the country. However, Netanyahu announced that he would put judicial regulation back on the agenda after Parliament approved the 2023-2024 budget at the end of May.
Following the deadlock in negotiations on judicial regulation between Netanyahu’s coalition and the opposition, the government recently pushed the button again in the field of judicial regulation. The government yesterday approved a bill that would lift the control of the Supreme Court over the government.
The protest movement in Israel, which opposes judicial regulation and other right-wing policies of the Netanyahu government, has continued its demonstrations throughout the country for the past 6 months. (AA)