Opposition to Netanyahu's Government in Tel Aviv Leads to Clashes with Police

After another day of protests from a segment of Israeli public opinion demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and serious efforts from the war cabinet to bring back Israeli hostages, police in Tel Aviv clashed with protesters on Saturday night, June 25. Police mounted units used water cannons in Democracy Square in Tel Aviv to disperse a crowd that had blocked the street, leading to violence between the two sides. The police confirmed that they had arrested two protesters at a different location during the demonstration in Tel Aviv. This group of protesters had left Kaplan Street, where they had received police permission to protest, and moved towards the Azrieli intersection, where they set a fire. The blockage of this intersection disrupted vehicle traffic on Israel's Highway 1. Haaretz reported that one protester was injured and seven were arrested. The protesters in Tel Aviv consisted of two groups of Israeli citizens: families of hostages whose loved ones are still held by the extremist group Hamas, and opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's continued political power. Simultaneously, similar protests were held by opponents of the Prime Minister in several other cities, including Haifa and Rishon Lezion. Families of the hostages and their supporters urged the war cabinet to continue negotiations, which are reportedly set to resume this week in a regional country, 'until an agreement is reached.' Israel discovered the bodies of three more hostages, including Shani Louk's boyfriend. Families of the hostages and their supporters held images of the hostage girls, as Israeli television aired a three-minute video from the day of Hamas's attack on Israeli territory, showing their entry into a military base and the taking of five girls hostage while killing 15 other young women. The United States and the European Union recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization. The release of the video showing the violent abduction of the soldier girls, which was broadcast at the insistence of the families of the hostages, has increased pressure on the war cabinet to strive for a new deal with Hamas. 125 Israelis remain hostages of Hamas. Before Hamas's surprise attack on Israeli territory on October 7 of last year, which led to the Israeli army's war against this group in Gaza, thousands of Israelis had been marching every Saturday night in Tel Aviv, calling for the ousting of Netanyahu's government. This type of protest, which had stopped in the early months of the war, has resumed in recent weeks, with opponents of Netanyahu's continued power criticizing his management of the war. Opposition politicians, supporting the protesters calling for the end of Netanyahu's power, emphasize the need for early elections. Critics of Netanyahu say he insists on continuing the war in Gaza solely for his political survival. On the other hand, according to polls from last Friday, as the war in Gaza continues, Netanyahu's popularity and that of the ruling Likud party have increased among right-wing supporters in Israel, and his government may remain in power if the 'National Unity' party exits the current coalition or if another election is held.