Israel’s protests against Netanyahu’s government: why?: Over 32,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of the Gaza conflict, and thousands of Israelis have gathered outside government buildings across the country in protest. The protesters are making the demand that Benjamin Netanyahu resign from his post as the Prime Minister of Israel as one of the demands they are making.
Israeli police have used water cannons to disperse the crowds in Jerusalem, while at the same time, protesters have been physically pushed back both in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, while water cannons were used to disperse the crowds in Jerusalem.
What is the location of the protests that are taking place at the moment?
After tens of thousands of people gathered outside the Knesset of the Israeli parliament on Sunday, the Knesset called for a protest of four days. There have been sporadic protests against the government since the beginning of the war on Gaza, but it is believed that this is the largest anti-government demonstration since the start of the war on Gaza. The streets of Tel Aviv were filled with over a thousand protesters on Saturday and Sunday, with many of them promising to continue their protests for the next few days as well.
Other cities in Israel have also seen an increase in protests over the past few days. As well as Haifa, Be’er Sheva, and Caesarea, demonstrations were also reported in many other cities on Saturday as well.
What are the demands of the protesters?
As discontent with Netanyahu’s government has grown as a result of the war on Gaza, protesters’ demands have changed.
The Al Jazeera correspondent noted that, initially, protesters were asking for Israel’s captives to be released. When the war was nearly four months old, there were protests going on saying the government was simply not doing enough to put an end to the conflict.
Salhut said that there is now a full-blown anti-government demonstration that is going on. There have been protesters calling for early elections and for Netanyahu to be removed from power since late January.
It is the protesters’ demand that the government secure a ceasefire deal for Gaza immediately so that the captives taken by Hamas from Israel can be returned to their families, an early election will be conducted, and Netanyahu should resign his position.
On October 7, Hamas raided army outposts in southern Israel as well as surrounding villages, taking more than 200 captives in the process. During a brief pause in fighting in November, nearly half of the Palestinians held captive by Israel were released in exchange for several Palestinians who had been held captive for quite some time.
In addition to the protesters, relatives of some of the captives are also among them. Ayala Metzger, who had joined the protests in Jerusalem, She wanted her father-in-law to return home. You just have to bring them back.” “It’s as simple as that.”
The protester Haggai Levin, who was also part of the protest, added that it is the government’s responsibility to bring back the captives to their families. It is possible that someone else could do that if they are not able to do that themselves.
What is the significance of these protests?
Amid the protests, local and international pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is adamant that the only way to free the captives is to pursue military action in Gaza rather than compromising in negotiations in order to free the prisoners.
It was reported to the press that despite criticism from other countries, including close ally the United States, Israeli military officials announced on Sunday that they are prepared to invade Rafah – Gaza’s southernmost town on the border with Egypt.
During the United Nations Security Council meeting last week, the US abstained from voting on a ceasefire resolution, allowing that resolution to pass, putting further strain on the relationship between the United States and Israel as a result.
Is it possible that the protests could force Netanyahu to resign?
As many observers have pointed out, Netanyahu’s approach appears to be one that is widely supported by Israelis.
Dan Perry, a former Associated Press editor and contributor to the US website The Forward, which caters to a mainly Jewish audience, writes on the website that Netanyahu will have little chance of facing enough internal pressure from within the government for him to resign if Netanyahu continues to pursue his war goals of eradicating Hamas.
As former Knesset member and Atlantic Council fellow Ksenia Svetlova wrote in March, Netanyahu’s politics are popular with the majority of Israelis, citing a poll conducted by an Israeli newspaper in which 81.5 percent of respondents believed that military pressure would be effective in releasing the captives from Hamas.
The Israeli Supreme Court, on the other hand, ruled against Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul the system of judicial review in January 2014, which was intended to limit the power of the Supreme Court over the executive branch.
During the protests against the proposed judicial overhaul in 2023, there was a considerable amount of violence in Israel. As the court explained, the legislation was clearly crafted on the basis of personal interests, and that would make it difficult to remove Netanyahu from power.
What was Netanyahu’s response to the situation?
In response to calls for his resignation, Netanyahu has rejected them.
After undergoing surgery for a hernia on Sunday night as part of his recovery, Justice Minister Yariv Levin will act as the acting prime minister until Netanyahu returns from surgery.
Netanyahu told a press conference ahead of the procedure that anybody who states that I am not doing everything in my power to bring the hostages back is false and misleading, adding that “while Israel has flexed its muscles during the negotiation for a ceasefire, Hamas is hardening its stance.”
It has also been reported that Netanyahu has rejected calls for early elections, as opinion polls suggest he would lose them no matter what happens. He said at a press briefing in February that the last thing we need at this time is elections and the deliberations surrounding them because this will immediately divide us, as he explained. The time has come for us to unite as soon as possible.”
The Israel Democracy Institute conducted a survey in January in which only 15% of Israelis wanted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep his job after the recent war on Gaza, the results of which showed. As many as 23% of respondents said they would prefer Benjamin Gantz to become prime minister instead of the current defence minister and member of the war cabinet.
In a recent poll released by Israel’s Channel 13, it was reported that Gantz’s National Unity Party would dominate the Knesset if elections were held now. By contrast, Netanyahu’s Likud Party would have just 17 seats in the Knesset if elections were held now.
Timenews1 provided that news.
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