Anti-judicial overhaul protesters drive diaspora minister out of Tisha B'Av event

Jerusalem activists shout down Chikli with chants of ‘shame’ at event marking day of mourning; elsewhere, Likud MK Dallal joins protest group for reading of fast day scripture

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli was driven out of an event marking the Tisha B’Av holiday in Jerusalem on Wednesday by protesters opposed to the government’s judicial overhaul.

The Tisha B’Av fast mourns the destruction of the two Biblical Temples in Jerusalem and other tragedies in Jewish history, and this year comes as the Jewish state is riven by the coalition’s contentious plan to remake the judicial system.

The protesters confronted Chikli inside the event with shouts of “shame” and “get out,” and held a sign saying, “Destruction of the third temple,” tying the holiday’s theme to the schisms in Israeli society.

Video from the scene showed the activists shouting and gesturing at Chikli as he moved toward the exit.

The dozens of protesters at the event included both secular and religious Jews, Channel 12 reported.

They had expected Chikli’s arrival and gathered outside the event, telling organizers ahead of time that they would hold a silent protest due to the solemnity of the holiday, Channel 12 said.

אנשי השנאה והמדון, מחריבי הבית, מסלקים בעיצומו של תשעה באב את השר עמיחי שיקלי בבושת פנים מכנס "אחדות". אותם אנשים שמעזים להטיף על פילוג ולקרוא לאחדות. בושה להם – באמת כדאי שיעזבו אותנו לחו"ל, ואולי יהיה פה טוב יותר pic.twitter.com/A3dMP3cJzy

— אבי רבינא Avi Ravina (@AviRabina) July 26, 2023

Chikli, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party, also knew ahead of time that the protesters were at the event, but decided to attend anyway, the report said.

One of Chikli’s associates told the network that the activists had pushed aside one of the organizers at the entrance to the event as they confronted the minister.

Chikli, as diaspora minister, has drawn fire from protest groups and repeatedly antagonized diaspora Jews, the Biden administration and US Democratic lawmakers with his divisive rhetoric.

Also on Wednesday, during the holiday, dozens of activists held a silent protest outside the home of Likud MK Eli Dallal in Netanya.

The protesters carried Israeli flags and read the Book of Lamentations, Tisha B’Av’s main scripture.

During the reading, Dallal left his home to join the protest group, which welcomed him with a round of applause in a rare moment of conciliation between government officials and their opponents.

חבר הכנסת אלי דלל הצטרף עכשיו לקריאת המגילה מחוץ לביתו בנתניה.
התקבל במחיאות כפיים על ידי המוחים בנתניה שחצי שנה מחכים שיצא אליהם. pic.twitter.com/ZwrLu2IvIh

— yayafink (יאיא פינק) (@yayafink) July 26, 2023

The coalition’s efforts to overhaul the judiciary have ignited sustained, mass public protests, and opposition from military personnel, business leaders, foreign allies and others.

The coalition unanimously and unilaterally passed the first measure in its legislative package into law on Monday, with the entire opposition boycotting the vote, despite immense pressure to halt the process and seek consensus. The so-called “reasonableness” law prevents judicial oversight of government and ministerial decisions on the grounds of reasonableness.

The law’s passage sparked fury on Israel’s streets, and thousands of military reservists, including many in high-level positions, said they were quitting their service in protest.