Thousands of people took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Be’er Sheva, Caesarea, Haifa, and other Israeli cities on Saturday night (20/4), demanding the dismissal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an agreement for the release of the hostages held by Hamas.
In “Democracy Square” in Tel Aviv, the protesters united against the government, demanded early elections, and did not forget the remaining hostages who continue to live a nightmare at the hands of the Islamist group’s militants.
Netanyahu is fighting for his political survival.
Many of the participants carried Israeli flags and placards reading “Occupation and democracy cannot coexist” and “Bring them back at all costs.” Others chanted “elections now” and “down with the government.”
In Jerusalem, people gathered outside Netanyahu’s residence, asking him to resign, while the same happened in Caesarea, where the Israeli Prime Minister also has a house.
The demonstration in Haifa, in northern Israel, was attended by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and former IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz.
Dan Halutz, taking the baton, stressed that the Netanyahu government is an existential threat to the state of Israel and that the prime minister is not interested in the return of the hostages, “because this is the sign of the end of his rule.”
