Published: 10 August 2020
Last updated: 4 March 2024
EXPAT ISRAELIS IN AUSTRALIA have called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial over corruption charges, to resign over his handling of the pandemic and erosion of Israeli democracy.
In a protest in Sydney on Sunday, organisers held two demonstrations on either side of the Harbour Bridge – at Kirribilli and the Agar Steps at Millers Point. The Kirribilli protest had 20 people, the maximum permitted under the restrictions, and the Millers Point rally had 11 people. In Melbourne, the protest was held online, owing to the tighter regulations in place.
The rallies in Sydney and Melbourne, which are part of a protest movement that has spread from Israel around the world, were staged under the watchful eye of police to ensure they complied with social distancing regulations.
“In the last few weeks, the Israelis have awoken and have taken to the streets,” organisers of the protests on Sunday said in a statement seen by The Jewish Independent.
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The statement spelled out the intertwining reasons for the protests in Sydney and Melbourne. “The utter mismanagement of the COVID health and economic crises has made citizens from all across the Israeli political spectrum realise that an indicted prime minister cannot manage the priorities and affairs of the state and is mainly concerned with survival and self- preservation.
“Dozens of protests have been held over the entire country in the fight for Israel’s democracy and for the very soul of the country. We came to support our friends in Israel. Do not stop until the PM resigns,” the statement continued.
An organiser of the Sydney protests, who did not want to be identified, said the events were peaceful and that they had received permission from police beforehand to stage the demonstrations. “The police acted courteously; there were no problems,” the organiser said.
The Jewish Independent has been told the organisers plan to hold similar protests for the next four weeks, pending approval from police regarding numbers and social distancing restrictions.
The organiser said they had been in contact with others in the US and Europe, and these events were carried out as part of the global protest at Prime Minster Netanyahu’s policies and their impact on Israeli democracy.
WATCH INTERVIEW WITH SYDNEY PROTESTER
