Jerusalem, Mar 20 (EFE) – Thousands of Israelis braved the rain and low temperatures on Thursday to protest outside the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the cabinet will meet to vote on the dismissal of Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security service.
Demonstrators are also protesting against government efforts to renew highly controversial legislation to increase political power over the judiciary.
The Forum of Hostages’ Families and peaceful groups also ed the marches to protest against Tuesday’s collapse of the ceasefire, calling for an end to the war in Gaza, where 59 hostages are still being held.
Thursday is the second day of protests by various pro-democracy movements in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, amid clashes with police, which used water cannons to disperse protesters.
Speaking at the protest, former Likud minister Dan Meridor said Netanyahu was dangerous to democracy.
“I am convinced that when [former Prime Minister] Yitzhak Shamir called Netanyahu an angel of destruction, he did not imagine the destruction Netanyahu would bring to Israeli society,” Meridor said.
Israeli society has flooded the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in the last 48 hours to show its rejection of the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet, as the intelligence service investigates “Qatargate.”
A scandal in which several of Netanyahu’s aides are under investigation for allegedly accepting money from Qatar to improve the kingdom’s image in Israel ahead of the 2022 World Cup while carrying out their official government duties.
Israeli ministers are to vote on Bar’s dismissal from 9:30 pm local time on Thursday, Israeli media reported. EFE
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