Dozens of protests held in northern Israel against Netanyahu’s government

Dozens of demonstrations were held on Saturday across northern Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, Israeli media reported. The Maariv newspaper said protesters gathered at dozens of locations to denounce the government and its controversial judicial overhaul. Channel 12 reported demonstrations in several areas, including Nahariya, Rosh Pina, Karmiel, Hadera and Haifa. Netanyahu’s government launched the judicial overhaul in early 2023, seeking to curb the powers of the Supreme Court and increase political influence on judicial appointments, triggering months of mass protests. Opposition parties and sections of the Israeli public have also called for a state commission of inquiry into failures surrounding the October 2023 attacks by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, but Netanyahu’s government has rejected the demands. Netanyahu is also standing trial on corruption charges. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024 on accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. Since October 2023, Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza has killed at least 73,651 Palestinians and injured 174,575, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.