(by Massimo Lomonaco)
While protests against Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial reform are multiplying in Israel, Germany has warned the premier of the dangers of a weakening of democracy.
On the 'Day of resistance' against the law of the right-wing government with marches, clashes, demonstrations and arrests throughout the Jewish state, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Berlin "as a good friend of Israel" observes "carefully and, not I deny, also a lot of concern" the judicial reform that has divided the country.
"Our hope - he pressed - is that Israel remains a liberal democracy. A democracy offers security not only for the majority, but also for minorities. We will see - he told Netanyahu during the joint press conference - how things develop" .
"
We are a liberal democracy and we will remain so - replied Bibi who arrived in Berlin in his third European stage after Paris and Rome -.
Israeli democracy is strong and alive and we will not back down on this one. " Then he insisted:" I can only go against the accusations by demonstrating the opposite in facts.
We will strengthen human rights, women's rights and the rights of the LGBTQ+ community". The fact is that Israel experienced another hectic day: from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, from Haifa to other cities, demonstrations followed one another. But also clashes - especially in Tel Aviv - and not just with the police. Protesters claim they were attacked in two cases with pepper spray by people for blocking the streets. Incidents denounced by the opposition who accused the government of "inciting"
against the demonstrators.
According to media reports, there were 21 arrests across the country.
And new protests are already being announced, starting with that of next Saturday evening in Tel Aviv, by now the epicenter of the wave of opposition to the disputed law.
The confrontation appears destined to continue: Netanyahu (and the entire right-wing majority) has rejected the mediation proposal put forward with the 'Platform of the people' by President Isaac Herzog, worried about the "abyss" of a possible "civil war" in which is Israel.
The prime minister reiterated that Herzog's was "a great opportunity that was lost. Not only was it not a platform of the people, but not even a platform of half the people".
The president's mediation was instead accepted by the entire opposition:
Yair Lapid called it "an honest compromise".
The other centrist leader warned that if "Netanyahu's coup passes, Israel will no longer be a democracy."
The tug of war has not yet been resolved and the situation is aggravated by tension in the West Bank, where 4 Palestinians were killed in an army operation in Jenin in search of armed Jihad militiamen.