Weekend protests expected to draw masses amid renewed fighting, Shin Bet chief’s ouster
Families Forum plans ‘rage rally’ at Hostages Square to demand Israel return to negotiating table; Golan, Lapid to address earlier anti-government protest at Habima
Weekend rallies against the government and to demand the return of Gaza hostages were expected to see a spike in attendance Saturday night, amid rising public anger at the government for ending the ceasefire before the return of the 59 remaining captives, as well as the prime minister’s moves toward removing key top officials and asserting greater control over the levers of power.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said it would hold a “rage rally” at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, stating: “The return to fighting could kill the living hostages and cause the fallen to disappear. The only fight should take place in the negotiating room, for the immediate return of all the hostages.”
“‘Hostages come first,'” read the statement. “We can’t give up on them now.”
The rally is set to feature speeches from Doron Steinbrecher, who was released from Hamas captivity in January as part of the ceasefire deal’s first phase; Noam Idan Ben Ezra, sister of slain captive Tsachi Idan, whose remains were also returned as part of the deal’s first phase; Gaya Gilboa Dalal, sister of hostage Guy Gilboa Dalal; Rivka and Ruhama Bohbot, respectively the wife and mother of hostage Elkana Bohbot; Amit Nimrodi, brother of captive soldier Tamir Nimrodi; Ronen Neutra, father of slain captive soldier Omer Neutra; and Ayelet Goldin, sister of Hadar Goldin, whose remains have been held in Gaza since he was killed in the 2014 war there.
Smaller rallies will be held across the country, including in Jerusalem, Kiryat Gat and the Shaar HaNegev Junction in the south, the Families Forum said.
At 6:30 p.m., a large rally against the government will be held at Habima Square. Opposition leader Yair Lapid and The Democrats chief Yair Golan are set to speak.
The main demonstration is set for 8 p.m. on Begin Road, outside IDF Headquarters.
Fears for the hostages
Guy Gilboa Dalal, Elkana Bohbot and Tamir Nimrodi are among the 24 hostages still believed to be alive, who were slated to return in the ceasefire deal’s second phase if the sides had been able to agree on terms.
All are young men abducted on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.
The ceasefire deal’s third phase would have seen Hamas return the bodies of 35 captives the IDF has confirmed to be dead, including Hadar Goldin and Omer Neutra.
The 42-day first phase, which saw Hamas release 33 Israeli captives, expired on March 2. Israel refused to discuss transitioning to a second phase, which would have required the IDF to withdraw from the Gaza Strip — a red line for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right allies. On Tuesday, to the Families Forum’s outrage, Israel renewed strikes against terror targets in Gaza, effectively ending the ceasefire and leaving the fate of the captives uncertain.
Fears for democracy
Meanwhile, Netanyahu has vowed to fire Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, citing mistrust in the Shin Bet chief since the Hamas onslaught. The government voted to oust Bar on Thursday, as tens of thousands of Israelis braved the rain to participate in mass protests in Jerusalem.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has said Bar’s ouster faces legal difficulties given the ongoing Shin Bet probe into alleged ties between Hamas-backer Qatar and top aides to Netanyahu. On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a temporary injunction against Bar’s ouster.
Bar himself has indicated he believes his dismissal is tied to the current investigation into the Qatar affair.
Netanyahu’s critics also accuse the longtime premier of seeking to offload onto security chiefs his own responsibility for failing to prevent the Hamas onslaught. Bar’s predecessors have also said Netanyahu could imperil Israeli democracy by installing a loyalist atop the Shin Bet.
Several cabinet members have threatened to ignore the court if it attempts to block Bar’s dismissal, and the prime minister tweeted Friday that “according to the law, the Israeli government decides who will be the head of the Shin Bet.” Additionally, according to unconfirmed quotes from the cabinet meeting cited by multiple outlets, Netanyahu told ministers: “Can someone imagine that we’ll continue to work [with Bar] without trust because of a court order? It can’t happen, and it won’t happen.”
Growing concerns that the government is rushing headlong into a constitutional crisis have triggered threats of strikes and other protest actions by universities and much of the private sector.
This, coupled with the cabinet’s plans to also dismiss Attorney General Baharav-Miara for opposing some of the government policies and legislative aspirations, has reenergized the protest movement against the government, as many Israelis fear Netanyahu and his ministers seek to deal fatal blows to the separation of powers and to Israeli democracy.
