From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Knesset speaker calls on police to crack down on anti-government protesters
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Following the arrest of six protesters during an anti-government demonstration near the Knesset building ahead of the final votes on the 2025 state budget, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (Likud) denounces their actions.
“This morning there were violent attempts to block the democratic process in the Knesset and not allow Knesset members to enter the Knesset to vote,” he tells the plenum.
“I call on the enforcement authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and not be satisfied with arrests and towing vehicles, but rather with prosecution. There is freedom of expression in the State of Israel, but no one is free to block the democratic process in the Knesset by force. This is outside the rules of the game,” he says.
Demonstrators accuse police of using excessive force.
