Israel: Doctors to go on strike in protest against judicial overhaul
After thousands of protesters took to the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Monday night in protest against the passing of a key clause of the judicial overhaul, it has been declared that doctors in Israel will go on strike on Tuesday, 25 July.
The Israeli Medical Association, which represents about 95% of doctors, announced that they would hold a 24-hour protest with the exemptions for medical care in Jerusalem and emergency care across the country, reports The Guardian.
According to reports, last week, it held a brief strike as a warning, stating that the judicial overhaul would "devastate the healthcare system".
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Meanwhile, 73% of interns will also be joining the strike on Tuesday, says the Intern Doctors Organization.
However, Health minister Moshe Arbel is reportedly seeking an injunction to prevent the doctors' strike going ahead.
Israel is currently facing it's largest ever domestic crisis with upwards of 10,000 military reservists refusing to report for duty since Monday.
Approximately 20,000 protesters waving blue and white flags gathered around the parliament building in Jerusalem on Monday night.
Police reportedly used water cannon and skunk gas – to disperse people blocking roads, some of whom had lit fires, while malls and businesses in many cities closed their doors in solidarity. At least 19 arrests have been made.
The crowed protested in anger and frustration, shouting "we will never give up". Walls and fences were plastered with stickers reading "we won't serve a dictator," "democracy or rebellion" and "save Israel from Netanyahu", says The Guardian.
"This puts us on the way to dictatorship," said protester Danny Kimmel in Jerusalem. "You don't do this to people who are protesting. It's their right."
Earlier today, the White House called it "unfortunate" that Israel's parliament ratified part of Benjamin Netanyahu's contested judicial overhaul, defying US President Joe Biden, and again urged the prime minister to seek a broad political consensus, reports Reuters.
