Tens of thousands of Israelis across Israel protested against Benjamin Netanyahu, demanding his resignation and calling for an early election.
This Saturday night, tens of thousands of Israelis took to the streets in different cities across Israel to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling for early election to end his time in power.
Israeli media reported that people from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, Haifa, and Caesarea, who gathered in main streets of their cities, also demanded an immediate deal to secure the release of the 133 captives still held by Hamas in Gaza.
Tel Aviv saw the largest protest, where thousands of angry and frustrated Israelis lit fires and clashed with the police. Eye witnesses said that police arrested several protestors and that one female police officer was punched in the face by a young man who covered his face.
Protesters also accused Israeli police of siding with Netanyahu’s government and chanted, “Police, police, who exactly are you guarding.” Some also attacked Itamar Ben Gvir, the National Security Minister of Israel, by chanting “Ben-Gvir is a terrorist.”
They were angry at him because last week, Ben Gvir openly said he is opposed to a deal with Hamas to reach a ceasefire and release the Israeli captives, echoing Netanyahu’s words on the matter.
Adina Moshe, who was taken captive by Hamas on 7 October but released following a temporary ceasefire deal in November, told demonstrators in Kiryat Gat that Netanyahu was responsible for the deaths of the captives. She directed her comments at Netanyahu, saying: “I want you to know that if they don’t come back, their blood is on your hands. You betrayed us, a more terrible betrayal than anything in history, you will remain forever guilty.”
Families of the captive Israelis want Netanyahu to go!
Members of the families of the Israeli captives were also among the protestors. Einav Zangauke, for example, whose son Matan remains captive in Gaza, participated in the protests in Tel Aviv.
Accusing Netanyahu of preventing a deal to free the captives on purpose, the 38-year-old mother appealed to Netanyahu’s rivals in the war cabinet, ministers Benny Gantz, Gadi Eisenkot, and Yoav Gallant, to “Help us replace him immediately, he is standing between us and our loved ones in Gaza. Take action and replace him now.”
Yael Or, mother of the captive Dror Or, was also among the protestors in Tel Aviv. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the demonstrations, she rebuked Netanyahu and his government for failing to reach a prisoners-swap deal with Hamas. “Netanyahu continues to torpedo a deal for the release of the hostages as they die in captivity,” she said.
Protestors in front of Netanyahu’s house in Caesarea!
In Caesarea, hundreds of angry protestors marched towards Netanyahu’s private home. To prevent the protestors from reaching Bibi’s apartment, Israeli police distributed flyers to them, threatening the people with imprisonment. “A prohibited gathering that has the purpose of terrorizing the public, is a riot, and the participant in the riot is sentenced to two years in prison,” the Israeli police said.
Former Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon was also among the protestors in Haifa. Speaking to the protestors, he said that “the military campaign in Gaza has reached its limit,” and that “our soldiers are forced to re-occupy places that were occupied a few weeks ago and become police forces for a population full of rage and hatred.”
Former Mossad Chief Danny Yatom was another famous figure participating in the protests in Haifa. He said during the demonstration that Netanyahu was seeking to keep the war in Gaza going because “it seems to him that as long as the guns are roaring, it is easier for him to ‘dissolve’ his criminal trial,”
