Extremist Israel minister calls for right-wing to protest in Jerusalem

Israel’s extremist Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich called on supporters of the right-wing government to take to the streets in support of the authorities, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported yesterday.

Smotrich’s call came following the massive demonstrations staged throughout Israel after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Netanyahu sacked Gallant after he criticised the planned judicial overhaul, which critics have said will place all power in the hands of the government and end the separation between the judiciary and the state.

Smotrich said in a video posted on Twitter: “Come to Jerusalem. We are the majority. Let’s raise our voice. We will not let you steal our votes and our country.”

Tens of thousands of right-wing supporters took to the streets of Jerusalem with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir raised on their shoulders. They called for him to be appointed Israel’s next prime minister.

They also attacked Palestinians, in what Labor Party Member of the Knesset Gilad Kariv decried as “attempted lynchings”. While Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli described demonstrators as “Ben-Gvir’s militias”

READ: Israel PM suspends judicial reform, pledges to approve militia run by Ben-Gvir