Lapid urges top cop to lay off 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"

Opposition leader Yair Lapid calls on Israel Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai to prevent unnecessary use of force against anti-government protesters.
“The demonstrations and protests that return to the squares are the protest of patriots and patriotism crying out from their hearts,” Lapid writes, adding that “the photos from the demonstrations are heartbreaking.”
“I am aware of the pressures being exerted on you, and despite this — and perhaps because of this — you must instruct your people to respect the citizens and the democratic protest, refine the guidelines for the use of force for exceptional cases only, make sure that the police response is designed to calm and not further inflame spirits,” he urges. “Every possible effort must be made to prevent police violence against protesters, especially at this time.”
On Saturday night, police arrested several people blocking a road during an anti-government protest in Tel Aviv, in some cases manhandling them.
Earlier this month, the High Court of Justice issued an interim injunction barring National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir from giving operational orders to police forces regarding how they manage demonstrations and how they use force during protests.
This included issuing orders as to whether force was to be used, how force could be used, and the means of dispersing protesters. The minister was also to have no involvement in whether permission was to be given for a protest to be held, or on the time, location or manner of the event.