Protesters mass outside Netanyahu's house as anger grows
JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Police held back protesters outside the residence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, amid widespread anger at the failures that led to last month's deadly attack by Hamas gunmen on communities around the Gaza Strip.
Waving blue and white Israeli flags and chanting "Jail now!", a crowd in the hundreds pushed through police barriers around Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem.
The protest, which coincided with a poll showing more than three quarters of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign, underlined the growing public fury at their political and security leaders.
Netanyahu has so far not accepted personal responsibility for the failures that allowed the surprise assault which saw hundreds of Hamas gunmen storm into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,400 people and taking at least 240 hostage.
As the initial shock has faded, public anger has grown, with many families of the hostages held in Gaza bitterly critical of the government response and calling for their relatives to be brought home.
In Tel Aviv, thousands demonstrated, waving flags and holding photographs of some of the captives in Gaza and posters with slogans like "Release the hostages now at all costs" while crowds chanted, "bring them home now"
Ofri Bibas-Levy, whose brother, along with his four-year-old son Ariel and 10-month-old son Kfir were taken hostage by Hamas, told Reuters that she came to show support for her family.
"We don't know where they are, we don't know what condition they are kept in. I don't know if Kfir is getting food, I don't know if Ariel is getting enough food. He is a very small baby," said Bibas-Levy.
Since the attack, Israel has launched an intense air and ground offensive in Gaza, killing more than 9,000 people, health authorities in the Hamas-run area say, and reducing large areas of the enclave to rubble.
Even before the war, Netanyahu had been a divisive figure, fighting corruption charges, which he denies, and pushing through a plan to curb the powers of the judiciary that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets to protest.
On Saturday, a poll for Israel's Channel 13 Television found 76% of Israelis thought Netanyahu, now serving a record sixth term as prime minister, should resign and 64% saying the country should hold an election immediately after the war.
When asked who is most at fault for the attack, 44% of Israelis blamed Netanyahu, while 33% blamed the military chief of staff and senior IDF officials and 5% blamed the Defense Minister, according to the poll.
(Reporting by Emily Rose;Editing by Ros Russell and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Link to article: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/protesters-outside-israeli-pm-netanyahus-house-anger-grows-2023-11-04/
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Whether now or after the war there will be some massive changes in Israel.
Bibi has been PM for six terms as the saying goes power corrupts, absolute power absolutely corrupts.
"killing more than 9,000 people, health authorities in the Hamas-run area say, and reducing large areas of the enclave to rubble."
Ah yes, taking the words of Hamas as gospel and blaming the victims. As usual, nary a word condemning Hamas or showing concern for Israeli casualties or the innocent hostages.
We know there is going to be big changes in Gaze once Hamas is destroyed.
We "know" nothing of the sort.
You're wrong....most assuredly Hamas will no longer be in charge.
Guess it depends on how you define "big changes"
Since the article is about the anger of the Israelis at Bibi I suspect that there will be some big changes in Israel and deservedly so.
Exactly, I don’t expect any articles about Palestinian anger at Mohammed Deif. They probably don’t even know where he lives.
Not that long ago hundreds of thousands of Israelis were in the streets, for months, protesting the far right governments plans to change the judiciary. That should have served as notice to Netanyahu that he was on shaky ground. But he plowed on and his negligence is considered the reason Israel was not more vigilant before the Oct 7 attacks.
Yes, the majority of Israelis feel that the attack and lack of government support after the attack rests on Bibi's shoulders.
a far right autocrat trying to alter the country's judicial infrastructure to escape prosecution for corruption, while being backed by extreme religious fundamentalists. sounds familiar. bibi knows that he stays in office while the bullets are flying. I wouldn't be surprised to find out in the future that he was forewarned and sat on the info. he's no better than the religious radicals that prop him up in office or those that attacked israel. it's time to follow the money.
One month ago, Gazans were celebrating in the street, dancing, chanting, passing out sweets. Bad government or massacres get regional people out in the street.
Role reservel, Drinker this has always happened when Israel attacks.
I don't think the Israelis are going to forget how badly Bibi and the administration screwed up and then the lack of help to the people after the attack isn't going to fade away.
I don’t think that they will forget 7 Oct and they will hold Bibi and Hamas accountable.
“…they will hold Bibi and Hamas accountable.”
Just the latest bad players in the long history of inhumane actions against the people of the region.
We can only hope it does not escalate into a larger regional conflict where the momentum may drag us into a major worldwide crisis.
”“People have a tendency to blame politicians when things don’t work, but as I always tell people, you get the politicians you deserve. Barack Obama
Agreed, afrayedknot.
In this case well deserved.