From the Liveblog of
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Police use water cannon on protesters outside PM’s residence in Jerusalem, at least 2 detained
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Police use a water cannon to break up an anti-government protest outside the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem, detaining at least two demonstrators.
Activists say that officers also injured a demonstrator, retired IDF colonel Shemi Attar, who was taken to the hospital after a cop knocked him on his back. They say that the water cannon contained foul-smelling skunk spray, according to Haaretz.
A crowd of protesters gathered outside the premier’s home to demand a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding the Hamas-led invasion on October 7, 2023.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes a state commission of inquiry, Israel’s highest investigative authority, because the judiciary he has sought to weaken would choose its members. He has proposed a controversial, politically appointed investigation instead.
Marching to Netanyahu’s home from the President’s Residence, protesters hold a banner that reads, “Israel will be a democracy.”
Once the protesters reached their destination, police say that “rioters began to block the roads, disrupt traffic in the area while lighting a flare,” prompting the commanding officer at the scene to declare the demonstration illegal.
Police say two were detained. Activists put the number at six, and say police set them free at the scene of the protest after handing them fines.
In footage of the scene, when demonstrators refuse to budge, police are seen breaking up the demonstration by force, spraying participants with a water cannon and pushing them onto the sidewalk.
Labor MK Gilad Kariv accuses the police of breaking the law in deploying the water cannon. A bill to ban skunk spray is currently moving through the Knesset.
משטרת ירושלים מפעילה מכת״זית (ככה״נ בואש) בירושלים, בניגוד לחוק ולפקודות המשטרה עצמה.
איפה הנחישות של המשטרה במאבק בארגוני הפשיעה? איפה הנחישות שלהם במאבק בשחיתות, בתאונות הדרכים, באלימות בתוך המשפחה?
חכמים על מפגינים. מצפצפים על הפקודות והחוק. pic.twitter.com/8bJ6ZpAZE9
— גלעד קריב (@KarivGilad) February 21, 2026
Overall, thousands are reported to gather at weekly anti-government protests across the country, with the largest such protest taking place at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square.
The Times of Israel Community.