Anti-Supreme Court protest
Anti-Supreme Court protestTom Nisani

President Reuven Rivlin spoke with south Tel Aviv residents who demonstrated Thursday evening outside the President's Residence during the swearing-in ceremony of Supreme Court President Esther Hayut.

The residents are angry over the Supreme Court decision in August disallowing incarceration of infiltrators that refuse deportation.

Rivlin told the residents that the State of Israel is doing everything possible to find a solution to their plight. "I am aware of your claims and attentive to the very complex problems that accompany the reality of life as you experience it," Rivlin told them.

"I am in contact with the relevant government officials," Rivlin continued. "I wish I had ways to find solutions. We have a simple problem-there is a need to deal with the problem of the infiltrators."

Despite being repeatedly pressed by residents, President Rivlin refused to answer why he hosted children of infiltrators in his home.

Residents of the Nativ Ha'avot neighborhood in Gush Etzion, whose homes will soon be demolished, demonstrated outside the President's Residence as well. "I make sure to go out, whenever I can, to every citizen demonstrating outside the President's Residence," Rivlin told them. "It's important for me to listen to every person who comes here.

Earlier, dozens of residents of South Tel Aviv, together with activists of the Im Tirtzu movement held an alternative swearing-in ceremony for incoming Supreme Court President Esther Hayut in front of the President's Residence in Jerusalem.

The alternative swearing-in ceremony sought to illustrate the disconnect between Supreme Court rulings and the Israeli public, whose citizens they claimed are the real victims.

During the 'coronation ceremony' activists spread a red carpet and erected a throne as a way of emphasizing that Supreme Court President Esther Chayut is the 'true queen' of the State of Israel.

According to the protestors, the Supreme Court has replaced the Israeli government, and its rulings harm the citizens of Israel. The demonstrators carried signs urging lawmakers to "stand up to the tyranny of the High Court of Justice".

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