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Thousands Assail Netanyahu Over COVID-19, Alleged Corruption

Reuters

   JERUSALEM - Thousands of Israelis rallied outside Prime Minister
   Benjamin Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on Saturday as anger
   mounted over corruption allegations and his handling of the coronavirus
   crisis.

   "Your time is up," read the giant letters projected onto a building at
   the protest site, as demonstrators waved Israeli flags and called on
   Netanyahu to resign over what they say is his failure to protect jobs
   and businesses affected by the pandemic.

   The protest movement has intensified in recent weeks, with critics
   accusing Netanyahu of being distracted by a corruption case against
   him. He denies wrongdoing.

   Netanyahu, who was sworn in for a fifth term in May after a closely
   fought election, has accused the protesters of trampling democracy and
   the Israeli media of encouraging dissent.

   Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party on Saturday called the protests
   "left-wing riots" and accused Israel's popular Channel 12 news of
   "doing everything it can to encourage the far-left demonstrations" of
   the premier's opponents.

   "Netanyahu is fighting to get Israel's economy back to normal and to
   transfer funds and grants to Israeli citizens," Likud said in a
   statement posted to Netanyahu's Twitter page.

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