Jerusalem: Thousands of Israelis demonstrated Saturday in Jerusalem in a continuation of summer-long weekend rallies demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces a corruption trial and accusations of mishandling the coronavirus crisis.
Smaller protests also took part in other parts in Israel, including overpasses and outside Netanyahu's private house in the upscale town of Caesaria.
At the main rally in Jerusalem, protesters gathered at the entrance of the city and marched to Netanyahu's official residence, holding Israeli flags and black flags symbolizing one of the protest movements. Enough with Division! and This is not politics, this is crime read some of the placards.
Netanyahu's governing coalition temporarily survived collapse this week after an agreement with alternate prime minister Benny Gantz, his rival and main coalition partner, to delay a budget vote until December.
If the two coalition partners had failed to agree on delaying the budget's approval, the government would have collapsed and Israel would have gone to its fourth general elections in less than two years.
Netanyahu of the Likud party and Gantz' Blue and White formed the coalition in May after three inconclusive elections, but differences between the two remain.
The coronavirus crisis is fueling the protest movement. After controlling the virus in its first stages in the spring, Israel reopened its economy too fast in May, leading to a spike of cases.
Israel is struggling with a number of confirmed infections exceeding 113,000 cases and the death toll is approaching 1,000.
Business owners, day-to-day workers and smaller, vulnerable entrepreneurs who were hard hit by the pandemic-triggered closures take part in anti-Netanyahu demonstrations. The unemployment rate is hovering over 20%.
Netanyahu's three corruption cases also have added momentum to the protests. Last year, he was charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.
Many protesters say Netanyahu shouldn't serve as a prime minister at a time when he is on trial for serious charges. In January, his trial will move to a witness phase with three sessions a week.
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After rapper and singer Santy Sharma's reaction to Khushi Mukherjee's provocative photo/video posts on social media, people on different platforms are now having a heated debate. The comments made by Santy were soon spread across social media and opened the door for conversations surrounding the type of content that is being posted by public figures on social media.
In his view, digital platforms provide a way to express themselves through creativity and art; however, he feels it is important for celebrities/influencers with a large number of followers to be mindful of how their content may be perceived by others. According to him, people who possess a large following online have a level of responsibility regarding the actions they display via their social media and should be cognizant of what type of example they are setting for the youth.
Lastly, creating art should inspire creativity as well as allow users to use their voices to support necessary change in society; therefore, creativity and expression through digital platforms should produce positive social change while still being aware of culture and society's expectations.
At the time of writing, Santy Sharma was discussing how online behaviour has contributed to increased rates of rapes, which stimulated much debate and debate online. Supporters have advocated for improved online etiquette, while others feel he was insensitive in his comments and contradicts the need for sensitivity on these sensitive issues. The controversy has gone beyond social media and increased debate regarding gender-based issues, the ethics of media influence, and the necessity to address serious crimes with appropriate awareness and sensitivity.
Meanwhile, Santy Sharma has also announced his upcoming single titled “I Don’t Care,” which is scheduled to release on 10 March 2026. The track will be available on his official YouTube channel and other major music streaming platforms, creating anticipation among fans who are eager to hear his latest musical release.
