Two hurt as bleach thrown at right-wing protesters outside Bennett’s home
Police open probe as one person taken to hospital for treatment after incident; neighbors in town of Ra’anana have expressed anger over daily disruptions caused by demonstrations
Two women were lightly injured late Tuesday when bleach was apparently thrown at a group of right-wing protesters demonstrating outside the home of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the upscale town of Ra’anana, police and medics said.
Magen David Adom medics treated the two and one of the women, 49, was taken to hospital for treatment after the chemical caused eye irritation.
It was not immediately clear who threw the liquid at the demonstrators, but witnesses said it appeared to come from one of the apartments near Bennett’s home.
Police said they were investigating the incident.
Right-wing protesters have been holding regular demonstrations outside Bennett’s home, accusing him of misleading voters ahead of forming a unity coalition with other right-wing, centrist, left-wing and Arab parties to oust Benjamin Netanyahu.
For the time being, Bennett does not plan to move to the official Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem, which has yet to be vacated by Netanyahu.
Residents of Ra’anana, just north of Tel Aviv, have been complaining over the disruption caused to their lives by the frequent protests and additional security measures put in place around his home.
Ra’anana Mayor Chaim Broyde announced that he had petitioned the police to end the protests, saying residents were disturbed by the demonstrators who were “shouting, screaming, pounding on cymbals and banging on drums.”
“Everyone is talking about freedom of democracy, I’m a democrat – but it is not possible for innocent children and innocent families to sit in their homes for two weeks and not be able to talk, it does not make sense.”
“Ra’anana is not Balfour, and Ra’anana residents need to be able to live their lives,” he said referring to the official residence, which has been the scene of hundreds of protests in the square outside.
“No one in Ra’anana has anything to do with living next to a prime minister,” he said, warning that the incidents will end in disaster.
