Sun 26 May 2019:
Protesters took to the streets of Tel Aviv, rallying against the recently tabled immunity bill that could shield Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from mounting corruption investigations. The demonstration under the banner “Defensive Shield for Democracy” showed a rare unity of almost all the parties in Israeli opposition. The exact number of the protesters remains unclear, with footage from the scene showing considerable crowds. The organizers of the protest said that at least 80,000 people took part.
Netanyahu has been in office for a decade, and secured his fifth term in April amid three ongoing investigations into his alleged corruption, bribery and fraud. The PM denies the charges, insisting that they are politically-motivated. He has also said that he has no plans to step down from the post even if actually charged. While the probes have apparently done nothing to dull Netanyahu’s drive for power, members of his Likud party tabled a bill that would grant government officials legal immunity by default. If the proposed legislation is adopted, it will not be possible to charge elected officials with a criminal offense unless the 120-member Knesset and the Knesset House Committee decide to waive this immunity.
