Thousands of Israelis gathered in protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday, expressing their disdain at the recent actions of the Israeli government.

Thousands of Israeli settlers took to the streets in mass protests in Tel Aviv on Saturday, demanding a comprehensive captive exchange deal, protesting the dismissal of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, and showing support for the Israeli Supreme Court’s temporary order halting the procedures for his removal from office.

The Times of Israel stated that the weekly protests on Saturday were larger, louder, and angrier than usual as thousands of protesters filled the stretch between Kaplan Street and Shaul HaMelech Street almost entirely, nearly doubling the number of participants compared to recent weeks.

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid stated during the protests that "If the October 7 government decides not to comply with the court ruling, it will, at that very moment and on the same day, become an outlaw government," adding "If that happens, the entire government must come to a halt, as the only system that must not stop is the security apparatus."

"The economy must come to a halt, the Knesset must come to a halt, the courts must come to a halt, and the local authorities must come to a halt. It is not only universities that must stop but also schools," he warned, adding that if organizing a tax rebellion is possible, then they will organize one.

Captives' families protest

Dani Elgarat, brother of the deceased captive Etzak Elgarat, emphasized that the number of dead captives will inevitably increase due to the war on Gaza, highlighting that “It’s [Netanyahu's] direction that killed them."

“He is directing events, he is acting against the interest of the country. He wants the captives dead, silent and not telling details," Elgarat added, while calling for the attorney general to stop the Israeli Prime Minister from moving forward, and the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army to stop following Netanyahu's orders.

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Speaking at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv, freed captive Doron Steinbrecher expresses frustration toward those supporting the continuation of fighting in Gaza instead of prioritizing a ceasefire and a captive deal with Hamas.

“Where are you? How are you not listening to us? How?” she asked, adding, “The feeling there, after so much time, is that you’ve been abandoned. And that’s a pain that is impossible to put into words."

Yehuda Cohen, the father of captive soldier Nimrod Cohen, spoke said,"Today marks 533 days since 59 hostages remain trapped in the hell of Gaza. After sabotaging the agreement, Netanyahu is now destroying the lives of those still held captive."  

Cohen declared, "Netanyahu is endangering the hostages and ruining everything. Take to the streets—this is a state of emergency," adding that "Netanyahu has deliberately chosen to sacrifice my son's life and sided with Smotrich and Ben Gvir. This is the truth that must be spoken everywhere. Instead of choosing to save lives, Netanyahu has chosen death."

Netanyahu dismisses Shin Bet Chief

The Israeli government unanimously approved Netanyahu's proposal to sack the Shin Bet Chief, Ronen Bar, who will end his role as Shin Bet head on April 10, 2025, or when a permanent Shin Bet head is appointed – whichever comes first, a government statement said on March 21.

This prompted the Israeli Supreme Court to freeze the decision and state that “Petitions shall be scheduled for a hearing before the panel (of judges) as soon as possible and no later than April 8," just hours after the decision was announced.

Tensions have risen between Netanyahu and the Shin Bet following the agency’s internal investigation into the October 7, 2023 events. Netanyahu dismissed the investigation’s conclusions, stating they didn’t address key questions.

The report’s findings led opposition leaders Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz to demand an apology from Netanyahu, accusing him of shifting blame. Lapid criticized Netanyahu’s decision as “shameful” on X, accusing the prime minister of “losing his nerve and eroding values,” while alleging that he prioritizes personal interests over national security efforts to maintain power.

Channel 12 reported that the government's legal advisor, Gali Baharav-Miara, requested a meeting with Netanyahu to discuss the dismissal. Meanwhile, Yair Golan, head of the opposition Democrats party, called it a “war on Israel” on X, accusing Netanyahu of trying to silence investigators looking into his circle.