Reports indicate that a man was “severely beaten” in Jerusalem after pro-government supporters gathered.
Three people have been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation after far-right groups filmed themselves attacking Palestinian citizens of Israel as they passed by pro-government protests in Jerusalem, Israeli police said, citing local media.
Reports said one man was “severely” beaten in Monday night’s attacks at the end of a day of nationwide protests against government plans to overhaul Israel’s judicial system.
Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on Sunday night and continued on Monday amid a general strike. Pro-government protesters also staged demonstrations in various parts of the country before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a delay in the move.
The largest protests by both camps took place in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, raising fears of potential violence between the two sides.
Reports and videos on social media suggested that right-wing protesters in Jerusalem had hit Palestinian passers-by and motorists during their demonstrations.
Among the people attacked were a taxi driver near a gas station and a young man walking near a protest near Jerusalem’s Yitzhak Ben Zvi Boulevard, according to the Times of Israel.
A video shared on social media shows a large crowd of protesters and security forces rushing to a gas station in Jerusalem.
נחח מוניק ערבי הוטפע בטען דלק ע״י מפגיני ימין ירושלים – וטמ. pic.twitter.com/eqmflB0aLO
— Suleiman Maswade (@SuleimanMas1) March 27, 2023
According to another short video, a Palestinian man appears to be caught in a right-wing protest until he is rescued by security forces.
מפגיני הימין בשדרות בן צבי ירושלים תקפו בפיולן ערביחשאלים |: Current updates >>> https://t.co/6cYRR0SaP4@AkivaWeisz: pic.twitter.com/C0KYG3b5a8
— here news (@kann_news) March 27, 2023
Another allegedly showed protesters with Israeli and Likud flags blocking the path of a Palestinian driver and chanting slogans.
בצומה משחש קבוץ בעד הרפורמה עד הרפורמה חסמו ובו ובו ובו ובו ערבי, calling to him קריאות גנאים. others others, also تومکی حرفورمه, wanted to help the driver and called the police, cleared the road and allowed them to pass@GLZRadio https://t.co/dedkjodK8x pic.twitter.com/R365WLtaM1
— נועה ברנס Noah Baranes (@noabaranes10) March 27, 2023
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir supported protesters who took to the streets in support of judicial changes.
He wrote on Twitter: “Today, the rightists stopped sitting on the sidelines and being silent. The right is usually indifferent to demonstrations, it is active in polling stations. But when they want to cancel our vote, when they try to steal the election results from us, when they say that our vote is second class, this is the result.”
He also shared photos from government demonstrations.
Plans by the ruling nationalist-religious coalition to hand control of judicial appointments to the executive, giving parliament the power to overturn Supreme Court rulings, have ignited one of the biggest domestic crises in Israel’s history and led to mass protests against the last few. months.
The decision to halt the overhaul followed an emergency weekend in which Defense Minister Yoav Galant was sacked after warning that divisions over the plans had affected the military and threatened national security.
His sacking by Netanyahu once again sparked mass protests, with Israeli President Isaac Herzog calling for the changes to be halted.