Thousands of anti-government protesters in Isreal gathered at Ben Gurion Airport on Monday, leading to scuffles with police who aimed to prevent them from blocking access to the terminal, affecting most inbound and outbound flights. The demonstrations were in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the judiciary. Some protesters entered the arrivals hall, chanting slogans such as “Democracy!” and dancing before being escorted out by police officers. Outside, the sidewalks overflowed with protesters carrying flags, blowing horns, and banging drums, while a line of police guarded the road as vehicles slowly passed by.
Earlier in the day, demonstrators briefly disrupted access to a major Israeli seaport. The legislative efforts introduced by Netanyahu’s hard-right coalition government have sparked unprecedented protests, raised concerns about Israel’s democratic health, and had an impact on the economy. Despite the demonstrations, authorities pledged to keep Ben Gurion Airport operational, and there were no significant flight delays reported by the airports authority. Four protesters were arrested during the incident.
Online notices circulated, urging demonstrators to arrive at the airport with suitcases and passports, possibly as a tactic to bypass the large police presence. Netanyahu had previously temporarily paused the legislation and engaged in compromise talks with the opposition, but those discussions proved unproductive. He now aims to pursue a scaled-back version of the judicial overhaul, which the opposition perceives as a dangerous move.
Netanyahu justifies the reforms as an effort to restore balance among the branches of government and address what he and his coalition allies perceive as judicial overreach. Critics, however, fear that this is an attempt by Netanyahu to undermine the independence of the courts, even as he maintains his innocence in an ongoing corruption trial.
Ben Gurion Airport, which serves around 90,000 passengers daily in July, remained operational despite the protests. Minister for Police Itamar Ben-Gvir warned that any attempt to disrupt the airport’s functioning would be considered a threat to national security.
In March, protesters had previously targeted Ben Gurion Airport, attempting to disrupt a visit by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and preventing Netanyahu from departing for talks in Italy. Austin cut his visit short, while Netanyahu reached the airport by helicopter and flew to Rome.
