Israel will be participating in its fourth “Day of Disruption” on Thursday, but this time under a different name: “National Day of Silence.”
Marches as well as widespread disruptions nationwide are expected as thousands of people will continue protesting the judicial reforms.
According to protest organizers, there will be several events under the title “#2024,” which will aim to show what Israel will look like next year if the judicial reforms are passed in full.
The following events are expected to take place throughout the day on Thursday:
- 8 a.m. – Demonstrations of parents and children will take place at various central locations throughout the country. At the same time, there will be “Declaration of Independence signings” in which protest participants will sign mock versions of the Israeli Declaration of Independence. These will also take place nationwide. This will be followed by a demonstration outside the conference center in Airport City where Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Avi Dichter and Economy Minister Nir Barkat are expected to hold a meeting.
- 10:30 a.m. – Hebrew University students will hold a protest march beginning at the Givat Ram campus.
- 11 a.m. – Members of Tel Aviv’s hi-tech sector will demonstrate outside of Sarona market. At the same time at Tel Aviv’s Entin Square, Tel Aviv University students and faculty members will begin their protest march. There will also be a general march on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street.
- 12 p.m. – A Handmaid’s Tale performance will be performed on Tel Aviv’s Kaplan Street. Also at this time, students and staff from the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot and Jerusalem’s Azrieli College of Engineering will hold their own demonstrations. In addition, a tent will be set up on the border of Ramat Gan and Bnei Brak in which medical professionals will foster conversations about education and the workforce, “in the spirit of Maimonides.”
- 7 p.m. – Demonstrations will be held in Bnei Brak.
Israelis protest against the Israeli government's planned judicial overhaul in Tel Aviv on March 18, 2023 (credit: GILI YAARI/FLASH90)Military, defensive and academic camps get ready to demonstrate
Protest organizers expect that military reservists will demonstrate throughout the day. The public can also look forward to convoys of agricultural vehicles in the North and South.
Several high-level members of the defense industry will be taking part in the protests. At 8:15 a.m., there will be a protest near the entrance to the David Institute at the main complex of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in Haifa, off Highway 4. Former Rafael CEO Giora Shelgi, former Elbit Systems CEO Yosef Ackerman and former commander of the Israel Air Force’s 69th Fighter Squadron are both expected to be in attendance, according to the protest organization Iron Dome of Democracy.
Beit Berl College will not hold classes, according to a statement from president Prof. Yuli Tamir.
“Every one of us as individuals and Israeli society as a whole must be protected,” said Tamir on Wednesday.
Remarks from the Police Commissioner
Israel's Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai held a situation assessment on Wednesday in which he discussed security measures to be taken in advance of Thursday's protests, according to a report from the Israel Police spokesperson's unit.
Israel Police Chief Kobi Shabtai (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)Shabtai emphasized that the police are an apolitical force that views the legal right to protest as a cornerstone of a democratic nation. He also noted that the police have zero tolerance for violence, property damage and assaulting police officers.
"The Israel Police allows legitimate protest within the framework of the law," said Shabtai, "while also balancing freedom of movement and the maintenance of routine life. We will not allow the blocking of roads."
