Israeli protests against Netanyahu draw tens of thousands
Tens of thousands of Israelis are demonstrating against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he is unfit to rule while on trial for corruption charges and accusing him of mismanaging the nation’s coronavirus crisis
11 October 2020, 04:56
3 min read
The Associated Press
Israeli protesters march on the street during a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister, Benj...Read More
Protesters gathered at hundreds of locations across the country due to a nationwide lockdown that has barred them from protesting at the usual site outside Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem. The current lockdown regulations allow people only to gather within one kilometer (less than a mile) of their home.
The largest gathering at Habima Square in central Tel Aviv drew thousands of protesters, who blew horns and pounded on drums and tambourines. The protesters waved pink and black flags symbolizing various grassroots protest movements. Some of the banners, using Netanyahu’s nickname, said: “Bibi, you are destroying my future.” Others read “Go!”
Police reported clashes with the protesters in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Netanyahu is on trial for fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes for his role in a series of scandals, and the demonstrators have staged weekly gatherings for the past four months demanding that he step down. Netanyahu denies the charges and accuses the protesters of being “leftists” and “anarchists.”
The marches have also been fueled by the government’s response to the pandemic. After appearing to contain the outbreak last spring through a tight lockdown, it reopened the economy quickly and the infection rate soared. The country of 9 million people has one of the highest infection rates in the developed world and the death toll is approaching 2,000.
With infections at record levels, Israel imposed another lockdown last month, further hurting business owners and entrepreneurs who have been a key component of the protests. The economy has been devastated by the closures, and many of the protesters are young Israelis who have lost their jobs.
Netanyahu’s trial, the pandemic and the plummeting economy are adding further pressure on his emergency government, which was formed in May in partnership with his rival Benny Gantz.
The government was meant to address the coronavirus crisis and the parties formed it after three inconclusive elections in under year. Instead it has been hobbled by nonstop infighting.
Last week, the government’s tourism minister of Gantz’s Blue and White party resigned over the failure to contain the outbreak. Violations of the lockdown by top government officials, including a Cabinet minister from Netanyahu’s Likud and Netanyahu’s wife Sara last week, have further hurt public trust in the country’s decision makers.
Pope Francis has issued an urgent call to action to defend the planet and help the poor in his second TED talk
11 October 2020, 05:31
2 min read
The Associated Press
FILE -- In this Sept. 20, 2020 file photo, Pope Francis delivers his blessing as he recites the Angelu...Read More
VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis on Saturday issued an urgent call to action to defend the planet and help the poor in his second TED talk.
“Science tells us, every day with more precision, that it is necessary to act with urgency — I am not exaggerating, science tell us this — if we want to have the hope of avoiding radical changes in the climate and catastrophes,” Francis said, looking directly in the camera as he looked up from his prepared remarks.
He set as a goal for the next decade constructing a world capable of responding to current generations, “without compromising the possibilities of the future generations.” He framed his call with references to his 2015 encyclical on climate change, “Laudato Si," (Be Praised) and the more recent “Fratelli tutti” (Brothers All) on the failure of market capitalism.
Francis laid out three paths of action: promoting education about the environment “based on scientific data and an ethical approach," assuring drinking water and an adequate food supply through sustainable agriculture and promoting the transformation from fossil fuels to clean energy sources.
“We have just a few years — scientists calculate roughly fewer than 30 — to drastically reduce the emissions of gas and the greenhouse effect in the atmosphere," the pope said, adding that the transition needs to take into account the impact on the poor, local populations and those who work in the energy sector.
He called on investors to exclude companies that do not taking into account the environment, as have many faith-based organizations already have.
“In fact, the earth must be taken care of, cultivated and protected; we cannot continue to squeeze it like an orange. And we can say this, taking care of the Earth is a human right,” Francis said.
The six-hour Countdown Global Launch is TED's first-ever free conference, featuring as hosts such figures as Jane Fonda, Don Cheadle and Al Gore, with speakers including Prince William of Britain and Ursula von der Leyen, a leading European Union official.
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