TEL AVIV: Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Saturday against the decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu鈥檚 government to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service and resume fighting in Gaza.
Netanyahu said this week he had lost confidence in Ronen Bar, who has led Shin Bet since 2021, and intended to fire him effective April 10, prompting three days of protests.
Israel鈥檚 Supreme Court issued an injunction on Friday temporarily freezing the dismissal.
Netanyahu has dismissed accusations the decision was politically motivated, but his critics have accused him of undermining the institutions underpinning Israel鈥檚 democracy by seeking Bar鈥檚 removal.
Israel returned to war in Gaza this week, shattering a ceasefire that saw the exchange of hostages being held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and brought respite to the battered enclave.
In Tel Aviv鈥檚 Habima Square, protesters waved blue and white Israeli flags and called for a deal that would see the release of the remaining Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.
鈥淭he most dangerous enemy of Israel is Benjamin Netanyahu,鈥� protester Moshe Haaharony, 63, told Reuters. 鈥淏enjamin Netanyahu, for 20 years, doesn鈥檛 care about the country, doesn鈥檛 care about the citizens.鈥�
Since the start of the war, there have also been regular protests by families and supporters of hostages seized by Hamas during the October 7 attack that have sometimes echoed the criticisms of the government.
鈥淲e are a year and a half later after we had very fierce fighting in Gaza and Hamas is still in power,鈥� protester Erez Berman, 44, told Reuters. 鈥淚t still has tens of thousands of fighters. So the Israeli government actually failed in getting its own goals out of the war.鈥�
With the resumption of Israel鈥檚 campaign in Gaza, the fate of 59 hostages, as many as 24 of whom are still believed to be alive, remains unclear and protesters said a return to war could see them either killed by their captors or accidentally by Israeli bombardments.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do whatever it takes to bring the hostages home,鈥� Ophir Falk, Netanyahu鈥檚 foreign policy adviser, told Reuters.
鈥淗amas unfortunately understands military pressure, and only military pressure. In November 2023 we got over 80 hostages out for one reason, military pressure... The only reason they went back to the negotiating table was military pressure. And that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e doing right now,鈥� Falk said.