BREAKING: Opposition Fuelling ‘Anarchy’ With Protests, Says Israel PM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday accused the opposition of fuelling “anarchy” in Israel, after mass anti-government protests in recent days.

Addressing the opposition during a speech in parliament, Netanyahu said: “You recycle the same worn-out and ridiculous slogans about ‘the end of democracy’. Well, once and for all: Democracy is not in danger, it is the power of the bureaucrats that is in danger”.

“Perhaps you could stop putting spanners in the works of the government in the middle of a war? Perhaps you could stop fuelling the sedition, hatred and anarchy in the streets?” he added.

Thousands of Israelis have taken part in several days of anti-government protests, accusing Netanyahu of undermining democracy and resuming strikes in Gaza without regard for hostages.

The demonstrations which erupted last week have been organised by a broad coalition of anti-Netanyahu groups, who called to protest the premier’s move to oust Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet internal security agency.

Israel’s opposition filed an appeal against the move to dismiss Bar, calling it “a decision based on flagrant conflict of interest”.

Netanyahu has pressed ahead with proceedings to sack Bar, a move which the Supreme Court blocked on Friday. The government has also begun proceedings to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who has challenged the legality of some of Netanyahu’s policies.

Following a rally in the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, protesters are due to travel to Jerusalem for an anti-government demonstration outside parliament on Wednesday evening.

Israel resumed intense air strikes across the Gaza Strip last week, followed by ground operations, shattering the relative calm of a January ceasefire with Hamas.

There are 58 hostages still in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead, out of the 251 seized during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023 which triggered the war.

AFP