Germany and the UK are urged to refuse Netanyahu's invitation by opponents.

Hundreds of Israeli writers, artists and intellectuals have called on Germany and Britain to cancel upcoming visits by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying his plan to overhaul Israel's judicial system has put the country on a destructive course. Netanyahu's coalition, a collection of ultranationalist and ultra-Orthodox parties, has barreled ahead with legislation that aims to weaken Israel's Supreme Court and give them control over the appointment of the nation's judges. Critics say the plan will destroy Israel's fragile system of checks and balances by concentrating power in the hands of Netanyahu and his parliamentary majority. Tens of thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets over the past two months to protest the sweeping overhaul, and Netanyahu was forced to take a helicopter to the airport in order to catch a flight for an official visit to Italy. High-tech leaders, Nobel-winning economists and prominent security officials have spoken out against it, military reservists have threatened to stop reporting for duty and even some of Israel's closest allies, including the U.S., have urged Netanyahu to slow down. In a letter addressed to the German and British ambassadors in Israel, some 1,000 Israeli figures said Tuesday that Israel is in the midst of the most extreme crisis in its history and that Netanyahu is trying to turn the country into a "theocratic dictatorship." The letter was signed by internationally acclaimed author David Grossman, novelist Dorit Rabinyan, Oscar-nominated director Uri Barbash and scores of academics, business figures and professionals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday in Berlin, where Israeli expats are organizing a large protest against his visit. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert joined the chorus of critical voices on Tuesday, saying British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should also refuse to meet Netanyahu due to his alliance with far-right politicians who he said have tolerated or even supported violent West Bank settlers. Late last month, settlers rampaged through a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank burning dozens of cars and homes, one Palestinian was killed. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a hard-line settler leader, said the Palestinian village (Huwara) should be "erased." In response, a human rights organisation said Smotrich was "not welcome" on a planned visit to France this week. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he held the Israeli government responsible for "the terrorist acts carried out by settlers under the protection of the occupation forces".

In 74 days, since the start of the year, Israel has claimed the lives of some 84 Palestinian. Nearly 150 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 2022, making it the deadliest year in those areas since 2004.