After a stormy night during which 34 demonstrators were arrested throughout the capital, this morning is taking place against the "Corona Law" near the Mishkan • The police evacuated them and the access roads were opened

Dozens of protesters are blocking the entrance to the Knesset this morning (Wednesday) in protest of the intention to enact the "Great Corona Law" that will expand the government's powers to deal with the Corona crisis. Police said four were arrested and that all access roads to the legislature are open at this time.

Activists came to protest so as not to allow the vote on the law planned to take place this morning in the Constitution Committee and later in the day in the plenum. The demonstrators stated that: "This is the least we can do to prevent an illegitimate government from changing the system of government in Israel while relying on the corona virus. We will not allow this. "Israeli democracy will be preserved."

Photo: Yoni Rickner, Yuri Yalon

The Knesset's Constitution Committee last night began discussing opposition reservations to the "Great Corona Law" covering all issues related to the fight against the virus, from declaring a state of emergency due to the virus, to authorizing regulations, to detailing regulations restricting activity and supervisory and enforcement powers. At the end of the discussion of the reservations, the voting will begin.

The bill stipulates that all the powers currently held by the Corona Committee headed by MK Yifat Shasha-Biton will be transferred between the Knesset committees, thus effectively emptying the Corona Committee of its powers, and the government will not have to realize the threat posed by coalition chairman MK Miki Zohar From her role.

Some members of the committee objected to the proposal that regulations to be installed by the government would enter into force only after 24 hours, and that Knesset committees could repeal or amend them within 14 days or seven days, depending on the type of regulations.

The wording of the law is 24 pages long, its drafting took about 50 hours in total, and the Constitution Committee held nine lengthy discussions on the matter. "The operating lever for declaring a state of emergency due to the corona is in the hands of the Knesset," said committee chairman MK Yaakov Asher (Torah Judaism). "This is a complex law, a framework law under which regulations will be discussed in appropriate committees, when the Constitution Committee discusses issues." For restrictions on freedom and human rights. " He noted that "the law will not apply to prohibitions on democratic rights such as the right to demonstrate. The law stipulates that demonstrations must be conducted carefully and in accordance with Ministry of Health regulations."

MK Gideon Saar (Likud) said that "I am against the bending of committee leaders. As a member of the coalition I am anxious if we go for this format. I can only imagine the generation of Menachem Begin's founders reading this version. "

Protest into the night

Organizations, unions, protests and civic organizations held parades last night (Tuesday) near the Knesset in protest of the functioning of the government. The demonstrators gathered near the prime minister's house and marched from there to the Knesset for a demonstration entitled: "Unification of all protests against the Accreditation Law."

Towards 1:00 p.m. (Wednesday), police announced that their forces had begun using means to disperse the demonstration. Police officers on horseback arrived at the center in Paris Square, and water cannons were used. Police also said that some of the protesters insulted the police and called them Nazis in violation of public order. Shortly afterwards, the last protesters were dispersed. 

Later that night, police announced that 34 suspects had been arrested on suspicion of various offenses of disturbing public order and assaulting police officers.

Around midnight, the winds heated up as some of the protesters threw a red smoke flare at the police. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck. Ten people were arrested on suspicion of disturbing public order. Police in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.

One of the demonstrators climbed on the statue of the lamp next to the Knesset and exposed her upper body. Other protesters climbed on the lamp statue and waved a red flag. The organizers of the demonstration said: "The government has decided to neutralize the Knesset and pass the accreditation law in a snap."

"The law authorizes the government to carry out legislative proceedings in place of the Knesset, and in fact deprives it of its role as a legislature and as an arm overseeing government actions. The law is the end of democracy as we know it. "We also allow the freedom to demonstrate to be violated. We, dozens of protests, unions, organizations and civic organizations signed below, hereby announce that we will defend the Knesset no matter what. We will not allow the passage of the Accreditation Law," it said.

The organizers of the demonstration said: "Israel is a democracy. The Knesset is the body that protects the citizens from the regime's abuse. The Knesset will not transfer its powers to the government and abolish itself. Israel will remain democratic even in the face of the huge economic crisis that this detached government has brought us into." "We are united and ready to fight against the economic crisis, against the government that is not functioning and is failing every day anew in the service of its citizens."

The "If You Will" movement condemned the demonstrators: "You were silent when they desecrated the tefillin. You were silent when they defecated on the flag. From now on, stop being silent. "

Advocate Oren Pasternak, the founder of the sovereign protest, one of the leaders of the demonstration, told Israel Today that "the purpose of the demonstration in the Knesset is to stop the passage of the Powers Law. We have united dozens of protests, unions and organizations to prevent the regime change from democracy to dictatorship. It is not possible for the Knesset of Israel to transfer its legislative powers to the government, and in fact to abolish the system of separation of powers and cease parliamentary oversight. We will not allow a violation of the freedom to demonstrate. We will not accept a situation in which a single person, the prime minister, can amend regulations in order to implement the law without the approval of the Knesset or the government, this is a single rule. "

"We ask the demonstrators not to use violence of any kind, and to remember that our struggle is against the government and the Knesset of Israel and not against the Israeli police. We will act with maximum unity and zero violence," Pasternak said.

"This is not the last meal" 

The restaurateurs' protest took place last night in Paris Square near the Prime Minister's House in Jerusalem. Israeli food people, including restaurateurs, cooks, waiters, shift managers, dishwashers, suppliers and service providers for the industry, came to participate in the demonstration when everyone demanded that they continue to have Israeli cuisine. The restaurateurs and chefs found themselves as playthings in the constant clash between the Corona Commission and the Ministry of Health. Open, close and open again.

The restaurateurs, who brought with them food rations that were distributed to protesters, noted: "We are here to give and feed because that is what we know, love and want to do. That is what we want to continue to do." The protesters claim that the arbitrariness with which the decisions affecting the restaurant industry are made proves that none of the leaders of the Corona struggle have undertaken to study the subtleties of the industry thoroughly.

A restaurant is not a clothing store, it is not a gym. To open a restaurant and cafe every morning, you must prepare for this the day before. There is a complete logistics system behind the opening of the doors and it includes ordering goods, pre-handling of the raw materials and a staff situation determined accordingly.

The ping pong game between Edelstein and Shasha-Biton leaves restaurateurs and chefs helpless and exposed, once again, to huge economic losses. Moreover, anyone who knows and understands the industry knows how much he is affected by political fluctuations, a war spirit, news broadcasts and media messages.

Whenever the media discourse focuses on the corona virus, which is on the brink of extinction, without stating facts, updated messages and exact adherence rates - the number of diners in restaurants has dropped drastically to a point where there is no coming and going.

Participated in the preparation of the article: Gideon Alon, Maya Darin