On 18 July 2020, thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli government’s COVID-19 response. In Tel Aviv, several thousand demonstrators protested the Israeli government’s economic response to the COVID-19 epidemic. Protesters gathered in Charles Clore Park and marched to Habima Square. Security forces arrested several individuals and used water cannons and pepper spray to disperse protesters.
Meanwhile, in Jerusalem approximately 2,000 demonstrators gathered outside Prime Minister Netenyahu’s home and called for his resignation amid corruption charges. Police officers used water cannons and mounted units in an effort to prevent the protesters from blocking Paris Square. There were no reports of casualties, but authorities arrested an undisclosed number of demonstrators.
