Israelis Flood Tel Aviv in Renewed Protest Against PM Netanyahu

The Israeli government faces public anger for its handling of the Gaza conflict and the welfare of its citizens in Hamas captivity, with the public demanding their release.

Tel Aviv witnessed a resurgence of anti-government demonstrators on Saturday in the biggest display of discontent toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for months.

The protests, which briefly subsided in the aftermath of the Hamas-led breakout from Gaza on October 7, 2023, have regained traction as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict advances into its fourth month.

Despite calls for national unity after the attacks, many are now voicing their opposition to the government's handling of the crisis.

Saturday's protests echoed demands for a snap election amid blaring air horns and drum beats. The flag-waving crowd faced off against riot police on horseback.

One protester, Yuval Lerner, articulated a growing sentiment of disillusionment with the Netanyahu-led administration. Speaking to the New York Times, He questioned whether the government was genuinely working for the country's benefit.

Another demonstrator, Karen Saar, sporting a sweatshirt with the slogan "deposition now," told the New York Times, "It's the Kaplan protests...We’ve returned the protest movement to the place where it was before the tragedy and the war,” she hinted.

Regular mass protests opposing government moves by the Israeli PM to reform the judiciary were a familiar sight in the nation's capital before the latest assault on the besieged Gaza Strip.

While the protests focus on domestic issues, they are not divorced from the broader context of the Israeli-Palestine conflict. The plight of hostages captured by Hamas and other groups on October 7 remains a point of contention, with demands for their release resonating alongside calls for political change.