A man with a face mask holds a sign during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 19, 2020. /AP
Wearing face masks, waving black flags and keeping two yards apart, thousands of Israelis demonstrated against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under strict coronavirus restrictions in Tel Aviv, Israel on Sunday.
Netanyahu, who denies any wrongdoing, is under criminal indictment in three corruption cases. He is also negotiating a power-sharing deal with his rival Benny Gantz to form a coalition government that would end a year of political deadlock after three inconclusive elections.
Some 2,000 protesters, according to media estimates, followed a call launched on Facebook by the "Black Flag" movement which condemns Netanyahu's continuing rule.
Demonstrations are allowed under Israel's coronavirus restrictions, as long as participants maintain distance from each other and wear face masks.
A woman walks at the start of a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel, April 19, 2020. /AP
Under the banner of "Save the Democracy," protesters called on Gantz's Blue and White party not to join in a coalition led by a premier charged with corruption. Some protesters had written "Minister of Crime" on their masks.
Israel's parliament was tasked with forming a government on Thursday after Gantz and Netanyahu missed a deadline to seal an alliance, but negotiations between the sides were ongoing.
Gantz has campaigned for clean government, but said that the coronavirus crisis has forced him to go back on his election pledge.
Israel has reported more than 13,000 coronavirus cases and 172 deaths. A partial lockdown has confined most Israelis to their homes, forced businesses to close and sent unemployment to about 26 percent. Some restrictions have been eased since Saturday.
(With input from Reuters, AFP)