Austin, who is on a regional tour, landed at Ben Gurion Airport where hundreds of protesters gathered on Thursday. He was greeted on the tarmac by Israeli regime War minister Yoav Gallant, and was due to have a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, Aljazeera reported.
However, the visit by the Pentagon chief came as Zionist demonstrators intensified their opposition to a contentious government proposal to reform the judiciary.
Protesters waving the Israeli regime's flags descended on the country’s international airport, blocking the main road leading to the departures area with their cars. The disruption snarled traffic and it was not clear if and how Netanyahu would reach the airport. Israeli regime's public broadcaster Kan reported Netanyahu would fly by helicopter to the airport, circumventing the protesters.
“Israel is on the verge of becoming an autocratic country. The current government is trying to destroy our democracy and actually destroy the country,” said Savion Or, a protester in Tel Aviv.
Police on horseback were stationed in central Tel Aviv where protesters marched and a water cannon truck was parked nearby. Red billboards festooning the city’s main highway read “resistance to dictatorship is mandatory”.
Earlier, tens of thousands of people staged protests in Tel Aviv, blocking the highway into Al Quds and disrupting traffic. Israeli regime's media reported clashes between protesters and police, with several people arrested.
In the meeting with Netanyahu, the US defense secretary reaffirmed Washington's support for the Tel Aviv regime against Iran.
SKH/PR
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