Thousands Rally in Tel Aviv to Call for Israeli PM's Resignation

Israel's Channel 2 News reported several thousand attended Saturday's rally, the latest in anti-corruption protests that have persisted for weeks.

Protesters waved Israeli flags and signs reading "crime minister", while others chanted "corrupt (officials) go home."

“Netanyahu to jail,” the protesters chanted, urging the Israeli premier to leave office and to stand trial over repeated allegations of graft while in office.

Similar protests were held Saturday in other cities across Israel, including in Haifa, Rosh Pina and Afula.

Netanyahu is involved in two separate corruption cases and investigators have questioned him several times. The first involves receiving gifts from wealthy businessmen and the second is negotiating a deal with a newspaper owner for better coverage in return for curbs on a rival daily.

They have said they suspect him of being involved in bribery, fraud and breach of trust, but Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and dismisses the accusations as a witch hunt by a hostile media.

The Saturday protest was the third “March of Shame” against Netanyahu in less than a month. Some 30,000 people attended the first demonstration in Tel Aviv two weeks ago, calling for prime minister to be jailed.

The protests come amid widespread public anger over a parliamentary bill which would bar police from publicizing recommendations on indictments, as many announced that the bill is specially devised to protect Netanyahu.

The premier has reportedly asked Israeli lawmakers to prepare a new draft of the bill that could not apply to the ongoing investigations against him.