Thousands of Israelis are holding a protest in Jerusalem on Wednesday against the resumption of bombings against the Islamic terrorist group Hamas in Gaza, where 59 hostages remain, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's planned dismissal of Ronen Bar, head of Shabak (the domestic intelligence service).
The General Security Service (Shabak) is also known as Shin Bet.
The protesters arrived in Jerusalem after a nearly hour-and-a-half march organized by the pro-democracy Black Flags movement, which began with blockades on Highway 1—which connects the city with Tel Aviv—up to the Sarakhov interchange.
From the Motza interchange, they headed to the Knesset (Parliament), where thousands are now gathered waving Israeli flags. They then plan to head to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's residence.
“Military pressure is killing them,” reads one of the protest signs, according to photographs published by the organizing groups. Others speak of “political reform or Israeli democracy” or urge people to “save Israel from Netanyahu.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid is also participating in the march, posting a message encouraging people to do so on Wednesday.
“We took to the streets because this is an illegitimate government. Silence in the face of a destructive government is not unity. Silence only gives them more time to tear us apart,” he said in his video message, in which he called for the return of the hostages held captive in Gaza.
The protesters outside the Knesset also demanded the release of the hostages, chanting their names one by one and the words "Now!" "Stop this war" and "Not in my name" are some of the slogans on the protest signs, some of which feature caricatures of the ultranationalist government ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir.
Protest leaders issued a statement to the media in the Motza neighborhood.
"In times of war, when there is an escalation on all fronts, the government and its leader (Netanyahu) want to remove the head of the Shabak," said Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Oren Shvil, one of the leaders of 'Brothers and Sisters in Arms', an organization of military reserves leading the protests against the 2023 judicial reform. EFE and Aurora
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