Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu was unable to drive to the nation's primary international
airport on Thursday for a trip abroad and had to be airlifted there instead.
The rallies were part
of widespread protests that have been taking place around the country for more
than two months against Netanyahu and his administration's divisive agenda to
reform the court. Netanyahu's airport route was mostly blocked by protesters on
Thursday, with the Israeli prime minister's needing to find other
transportation seen as a victory for the anti-government movement.
The helicopter flight
could further cement Netanyahu's image as being disconnected from Israelis at a
time when the economy is slowing and the nation is divided over the
government's plan, even though it avoided the gridlock caused by the protest.
In a televised speech
late on Thursday, Israel's symbolic president, Isaac Herzog, who has been
attempting to mediate a compromise between Netanyahu's allies and the
opposition, called for a solution.
Herzog asserted that
the plan advocated by Netanyahu should be promptly abandoned. As president,
Herzog is expected to serve as a unifying force that is essentially above
politics. “It's incorrect. That is damaging. It threatens the fundamentals of
our democracy,” he warned.
He argued that weeks
of secret negotiations had brought the parties closer to an understanding.
“You'll be judged by history. Now, take accountability,” he commanded.
The US Defense
Secretary's visit on Thursday was also hampered by the protesters; his
itinerary had to be changed so that his events would be close to the airport.
Austin momentarily
entered Israel's domestic squabble by reiterating President Joe Biden's recent
remarks that "the genius of American democracy and Israeli democracy is
that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, and on
an independent judiciary" at a news conference.
The protesters'
"day of resistance to authoritarianism" started with hundreds
gathering at the country's biggest international airport waving Israeli flags
and blocking the route leading to the departures area with their cars.
In other towns,
including Tel Aviv, a beach metropolis, demonstrators stopped major junctions
and tussled with police. A tiny flotilla of kayaks and paddleboards attempted
to block a major shipping route off the northern city of Haifa. A few
demonstrators surrounded the offices in Jerusalem of a conservative think tank
that was driving the judicial reforms.
Israel is currently
experiencing one of its worst domestic crises as a result of the controversy
over Netanyahu's law reform. Beyond the demonstrations, which have brought tens
of thousands of Israelis to the streets and have recently turned violent,
opposition to the plan has risen from all sectors of society. Business
executives and legal authorities have spoken out against what they claim will
be the plan's disastrous effects. Israel's military is experiencing
unprecedented internal opposition as a result of the rift.