Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of growing violence and death threats as protests continue against his government's planned judicial reforms.
Netanyahu criticized the "growing wave of daily incitement, that crosses boundaries," his office said Sunday. He also spoke of "an explicit threat to murder the prime minister of Israel" as well as the threats against other elected officials.
He was referring to a Facebook post by an Israeli reserve colonel. It said, among other things: "If a prime minister comes along and assumes dictatorial powers, that prime minister is marked by death ... along with his ministers and the people doing his bidding."
The former fighter pilot who led the Israeli Air Force's 1981 attack on Iraq's nuclear reactor, later distanced himself from the post. Police nevertheless launched an investigation.
For weeks, Israelis have been demonstrating against Netanyahu's far-right government's plan to deliberately weaken the country's judicial system. Experts explicitly warn that the reform would endanger democracy in Israel.
Netanyahu said of the threat against him: "I know that there is a debate over what endangers democracy but this is not something that is subject to dispute – this truly endangers democracy."
In the face of further calls for violent resistance to reform, the head of the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, announced a "zero tolerance policy" against incitement to violence.
Earlier Saturday, tens of thousands of Israelis protested for the fifth consecutive Saturday night against the controversial restructuring of the judicial system.
Despite rainy weather, a crowd of some 40,000 gathered in the center of the coastal city of Tel Aviv.
Many waved Israeli flags and chanted "freedom, equality, quality of government." Around 10,000 people also took to the streets in Haifa.
Eliad Shraga, chairman of the Movement for Government Quality, compared Netanyahu to the Roman emperor Nero, who had looked upon burning Rome with satisfaction.
"Shame, shame, shame," Shraga shouted repeatedly and was joined by the crowd. Netanyahu wanted to abuse the reform to avoid conviction in his corruption trial, he said.
Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery – allegations he has consistently denied, calling them a "witch hunt."
Shraga also warned of a "satanic plan" by the government to transform Israel from a Jewish democratic state into a dictatorship.
Saturday's protests come days after Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said Netanyahu should not participate in the controversial judicial restructuring, citing a "possible conflict of interest."
