Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem on Wednesday to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of endangering democracy and escalating strikes on Gaza without prioritising the release of hostages.
Chanting “You are the head, and you’re to blame” and “The blood is on your hands,” the protesters rallied outside the Knesset in what was the largest demonstration in the city in months. Organised by anti-Netanyahu opposition groups, the rally was fuelled by anger over the premier’s decision to dismiss Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet internal security agency.
The decision, which threatened to trigger a political crisis, was swiftly followed by Israel’s most intense airstrikes on Gaza since a fragile ceasefire took effect in January. Among the demonstrators were relatives of hostages still held by Hamas, who fear that renewed military action could put their loved ones in greater danger.
Many in the crowd held banners reading, “We are all hostages,” highlighting fears that Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict is driven by political survival rather than strategic necessity.
Of the 251 people taken hostage in the October 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the war, 58 remain in Gaza, with the Israeli military believing that 34 of them are dead. Families of the captives have accused Netanyahu of using the conflict as a distraction from his government’s growing instability.
The prime minister’s refusal to establish a national commission of inquiry into Hamas’s October 7 attack, coupled with his efforts to remove key judicial officials such as Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, has further stoked tensions. Netanyahu’s controversial 2023 judicial overhaul—aimed at curbing the Supreme Court’s authority—had already deeply divided the country before being shelved following Hamas’s assault.
“The last two years have been a nightmare for us,” said Yael Baron, 55, from Modiin. “I feel as though we are in the 99th minute, and time is running out to save the country—our democracy is slipping away.”
