Former Shin Bet head urges public to protest until ‘worst government’ in Israel’s history is replaced

Former Shin Bet head Yuval Diskin addresses the weekly anti-government protest in Tel Aviv after weeks of turning down a request to do so, as he believed the time was not yet ripe.

Diskin, who served as the head of the intelligence agency from 2005 until 2011, tells the crowds that “the worst prime minister” in Israel’s history has spent the past decade leading the country to a situation in which there is no internal, regional, or international security, and that Israel’s existence as a state could be threatened in the immediate future.

He calls for elections at the earliest possible opportunity, with the goal of establishing “a national unity government” without Benjamin Netanyahu and without extremists and messianic fanatics.

“Those who are still hesitating: there is no time to save the country. Rise up and join the protest to replace the government,” he urges the gathering on Kaplan Street, opposite the Kirya headquarters of the Defense Ministry. Thousands attending the rally chant repeatedly “Now!”

Urging Israelis to go out to the streets and protest until the government is dissolved, Diskin says Israel’s priority must be the return of the hostages from Gaza, as well as normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia in a way that will lead to a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.