The embassy will be closed from 4pm today, dealing only with urgent cases. Photo credit: Freepik.
Prague, March 27 (CTK) – The Israeli embassy in the Czech Republic will join the general strike announced by unions in Israel today over controversial judicial reforms, and will thus not provide usual consular services, only dealing with urgent cases, Petra Mohylova from the embassy’s press department told CTK.
For several weeks, Israel has been facing massive protests over a judicial reform which would give the government coalition control over the appointment of Supreme Court judges, and would also enable it to overturn judicial rulings with an absolute majority in the parliament.
Mohylova said the embassy would be closed from 4pm today, dealing only with urgent cases. The embassy wrote on Twitter that in urgent situations, employees of the embassy could be reached on the phone number +420 602 389 255.
Mohylova said it was not possible to say how long the strike would take.
Unions in Israel declared a general strike today. Flights from the Ben Gurion international airport have been suspended, and shopping centres and banks are closed. Two major Israeli ports in Haifa and Ashdod have also been shut down.
Reuters wrote that the unions had called on Israeli embassies around the world to join the strikes.
Opponents of the proposals claim they would weaken Israeli democracy, while its supporters say it is necessary in order to limit “activist judges”.
The situation in the country escalated when Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu sacked Defense Minister Yoav Galant on Sunday, after he warned that the reform could threaten the security of the country.
Thousands of people have been demonstrating against the reform in front of the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem today. Netanyahu called on both opponents and supporters of the reforms to refrain from violence.
Protests have also been held in other Israeli towns.
