Mass protests erupted across Israel this week following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial decision to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, as outrage over the ongoing war in Gaza and the government’s internal shakeups reached a boiling point.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa, clashing with police who deployed water cannons and mass arrests in efforts to disperse crowds. Protesters carried signs demanding Netanyahu’s resignation and calling for an end to what they describe as a regime undermining democracy while ignoring the fate of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.

The immediate spark for the latest wave of unrest was the cabinet’s move to dismiss Ronen Bar, the head of Israel’s internal security agency. Bar, who had warned the government about rising domestic unrest and internal threats, was reportedly removed without consensus from military leadership. The Israeli High Court froze the dismissal on March 20 pending review, after several legal challenges were filed.

Public outrage is also growing over the resumption of bombing raids in Gaza, which continue despite ceasefire negotiations and appeals from hostage families. Protesters accuse Netanyahu of deliberately escalating the war to cling to power and distract from legal troubles and mounting public dissatisfaction.

President Isaac Herzog weighed in, expressing deep concern over the government’s direction and warning that the country’s resilience was being eroded. “We must not ignore the voices in the streets,” Herzog said. “This is not unity—this is fracture.”

With opposition figures calling for snap elections and international media closely tracking the growing crisis, the Netanyahu government now faces pressure from all directions: a fractured security establishment, an enraged public, and a judiciary unwilling to rubber-stamp executive overreach.

Reported by Casey Clearview for The Crustian Daily.