Yom Shnee
Monday
5 Nisan 5783
March 27 2023
The Cat Is Out Of The Bag: The Quote of the Day
For the last two months, we here at OneIsrael have been reporting that the protests against the legal reforms have nothing to do with the legal reforms; they are all about ousting Netanyahu and overthrowing the government.
Here’s what Roi Neumann, the leader of protests, said last night:
“Even after the reform is stopped, we will continue the protest and demonstrations until Netanyahu is replaced . . . Netanyahu cannot continue to be prime minister.”
The Photo and Video of the Night
The Tel Aviv Police Chief who was supposed to be keeping the Ayalon Freeway clear of “protesters” leading the “protesters” down the Ayalon last night.
Click here to see the District Commander of the Tel Aviv Police leading the marchers down the Ayalon Freeway last night –the same marching anarchists who pelted the police with “rocks” and other objects injuring at least 3 of them.
In Jerusalem, the police were equally impotent. The anarchists breached the police barriers on the way to the Netanyahus’ house. It was only prime minister’s Shin Bet security on Gaza Street (the street of their home) that finally stopped them.
An Amazing Poll
An amazing poll from the highly reputable Globes this morning:
The poll asked people “How many times have you been out in the street protesting the legal reforms?
The shocking answer given the endless media attention on the demonstrators:
81 % of the people have never gone to protest.
8% of the people have been to 1 protest.
7% of the people have been 2-4 times.
2% of the people have been to more than 5 protests.
2% of the people go to every protest.
What conclusion can we draw from this poll? Even with a 3% margin of error, the people who are spreading chaos in the streets are relatively few. Most people–by a wide margin–are not protesting at all.
The News on the Israeli Street
The war in Judea and Samaria.
Shooting attacks:
Palestinian terrorists opened fire on residents of the Kedem neighborhood of Avni Hefetz.
Palestinian terrorists opened fire on IDF soldiers in Nur al-Shams.
IED, “rock”, and Molotov attacks:
Palestinian terrorists attacked in Hawara (numerous times), between Al-Saoya and Rachel, between the Yakir Junction and Ravva, Migdalim, on the Gush Etzion-Hevron Road, near Singil, between Tanim and Avni Hefetz Square, between Sela and Yitzhar, Beitot, and at a dozen other locations.
TODAY’S BLOG
Gallant’s Firing And The Ensuing Chaos:
What Will Netanyahu Do?
All of the talk in Israel this morning concerns the apparent firing of Defense Minister Gallant and the ensuing chaos that occurred in Tel Aviv last night.
To begin with, you might recall how your humble servant ended this blog yesterday:
“It will be extremely interesting to see what happens this morning when PM Netanyahu returns from the U.K. Will Galant be sacked and possibly be replaced by Avi Dichter? Will Netanyahu cave in to Edelstein and Gallant?”
By 9:00 last night we had our answer to the first question with the news that Defense Minister Gallant had been fired (the firing is not official yet).
To reiterate what I wrote yesterday, it is my opinion that the firing of Gallant came because of his call for a freezing of the legal reform legislation and because of when and how he said it.
As we reported yesterday, the way that Gallant struck while Netanyahu was still in London as well as how he set up the press conference with himself looking like the prime minister had to rankle Netanyahu.
According to sources in Likud, Gallant also violated Netanyahu’s trust by falsely claiming that he (Gallant) had demanded a security cabinet meeting last week that Netanyahu refused.
What followed the announcement of the firing was utter chaos in the section of Tel Aviv along Kaplan Street and the Ayalon Freeway. Even though the police were hit by anarchists (as noted above) who built bonfires on the Ayalon, they made little to no effort to keep the streets and Ayalon open.
The chaos has now spread to all of Israel this morning:
*Ben Gurion Airport has been shut down to all departing flights.
*The Histadrut has announced “a historic strike” to close down the country.
*All kindergartens will be closed as of tomorrow, and there will be no summer camps.
*The Medical Association has announced a full strike in the medical system.
*The “Big” and “Azrieli” shopping malls have announced a strike.
The Ayalon Freeway (south) is blocked again by protesters.
Meanwhile:
The Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee has just approved sending the Judicial Selection Law to the Knesset for the 2nd and 3rd readings.
A huge right-wing protest in favor of the reforms is scheduled for Thursday night in Jerusalem.
The right-wing “Familia” group affiliated with Beitar Jerusalem has announced it will hold a mass demonstration on Kaplan St. in Tel Aviv tonight.
Itamar Ben Gvir has announced that if the legislation is halted, his party will withdraw from the Coalition.
So now, all eyes are on Netanyahu whose address scheduled for this morning has been postponed until this afternoon.
Will he announce a cessation of the legal reforms?
Will he announce a freezing of the reforms until after Yom Atzmaut (Independence Day)?
Will he announce that the there will be a freezing after the Judicial Selection Committee Law passes the Knesset?
Stay tuned for further details after that speech.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.