An anti-judicial reform protest turned violent Monday morning at the Pastoral Hotel in Kfar Blum, where the protesters had gathered to protest against an appearance by Economy Minister Nir Barkat (Likud).
Clashes broke out as protesters attempted to confront Barkat shortly after he arrived at the hotel. He was accompanied by activists from the conservative Kohelet Forum, which has long advocated for reform of Israel's judiciary.
The protesters forced their way into a hotel hall during Barkat's meeting with a group of mayors. Hotel staff and security personnel tried to remove the protesters from the premises.
Sources close to Nir Barkat said that the "incident could have ended in bodily harm, given that it took the police half an hour to arrive and disperse the protesters, and in the meantime, the minister was left with only one security guard, who was unable to deal with dozens of violent protesters attempting to reach Minister Barkat. The next political assassination is a matter of time."