Israeli police arrest five during Knesset protest over state budget

JERUSALEM

Israeli police announced on Monday the arrest of five protesters during a demonstration in front of the Knesset building in western Jerusalem against the approval of the state budget.

In a statement, police said the five were arrested while dispersing the protest, accusing them of “disturbing public order and disobeying instructions.”

Earlier on Monday, the Times of Israel reported that Knesset members approved the budget by 62 votes to 55 out of 120 members.

The newspaper described the budget as 850.6 billion shekels ($271 billion), the largest in Israel’s history.

Protesters carried signs reading “Wartime Looting,” “The Looting Budget,” and “The Knesset’s Looting Budget.”

Security personnel and police were filmed removing the signs during the demonstration, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

*Writing by Rasa Evrensel in Istanbul