‘Violent thugs’: Netanyahu denounces protesters who recently broke into Likud HQ
PM accuses anti-government demonstrators of having ‘destroyed everything in their way’ during May 28 incident, though none have been charged with violent offenses
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused anti-government demonstrators who last month broke into the headquarters of his Likud party of acting like “violent thugs.”
“Violent protesters — thugs — broke into Metzudat Ze’ev and beat up innocent workers. They destroyed everything in their way,” the prime minister said, referring to May 28 incident, when dozens of protesters chained themselves to the stair railings outside of Netanyahu’s office at Likud headquarters in Tel Aviv.
The demonstrators were marking 600 days since hostages held in Gaza were abducted during the Hamas-led October 2023 terror onslaught, and also protesting the allegedly illicit ties of Netanyahu’s close aides with Qatar.
The prime minister accused protestors of being “against democracy and the rule of law,” adding that “we represent those values — and we do so with devotion. Even as we stand under assault from slander and deception across the media, we’re not fazed.”
“An overwhelming majority of the nation stands firmly behind our heroic fighters… and reject those who through extremist rhetoric try to push us over the edge,” he claimed during remarks at a memorial ceremony for the infamous sinking of the Altalena ship 77 years ago, at the Nahalat Yitzhak military cemetery in Tel Aviv.
Police arrested 61 of the protestors whom they accused of trespassing, disturbing public order, causing property damage, setting fires and fighting with officers.
The protesters insisted, however, that the demonstration had been non-violent and accused police of using violence when removing them from the site, in particular with the use of mounted officers to corral demonstrators.
Footage of the demonstrations showed mounted police officers using their horses to charge at protesters.
All the protesters released the following day from detention and none have been charged with any violent offenses.
Netanyahu’s comments Monday came days after the judiciary announced that a window in the Supreme Court building in Jerusalem was shattered during a right-wing protest on Thursday evening, either by an airsoft gun or a slingshot.
In response, Netanyahu issued a statement denouncing violence “of any kind,” without directly referring to the shooting of the window during the protest, which was addressed by several government ministers, including Justice Minister Yariv Levin of Likud.
The Times of Israel Community.