As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet gathered to vote on the firing of Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara on Sunday, thousands gathered outside the Knesset to protest the move.

Crowds then took the protest to Netanyahu’s Aza Street home, while Shift 101 movement demonstrators also gathered there, calling for the return of the hostages.
At least two demonstrators were arrested, according to the Maarach Otef Atzurim, an organization that provides legal advice and aid regarding protests.
Protests initially broke out last week across Israel after Netanyahu announced his intention to advance the firing of Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Ronen Bar, a move seen by many as a direct threat to democracy, in part because of the agency’s role in investigating the Qatargate case and the prime minister’s possible involvement in it.The rallies are also viewed as a continued response to the highly contentious judicial reform.
Calls to demonstrate only intensified as the country returned to fighting in Gaza on Tuesday. Protesters called for the prioritization of bringing the hostages home and accused the government of returning to war as part of a political move to maintain power rather than for the good of the people.

Thousands of protesters outside of the Knesset building in Jerusalem, March 23, 2025. (credit: Idan Sasson)
Thousands of protesters outside of the Knesset building in Jerusalem, March 23, 2025. (credit: Idan Sasson)

Tensions ran high as protesters poured out of the Jerusalem-Yitzhak Navon train station, chanting, “We will shut down this country; everything will come to a stop.”
“I’m here to defend democracy. Simple,” one protester said. “The government thinks that it can turn us into Hungary or North Korea, but it’s not going to happen.”
“We don’t have any trust in the government,” said another demonstrator. “They’re willing to sacrifice human life to keep their seats. We don’t know if [protesting] will help, but staying home just feels impossible.”
“We want the hostages to come home, we want democracy back, we want the war to stop, and we want a normal government,” said representatives from the People’s Protest of Haifa, an organization that has been protesting against the government for the last four years.
Many of the demonstrators attended additional rallies last week; Sunday was the fifth consecutive day of major protests in Jerusalem.
Additional demonstrations have taken place across the country over the last week, including in Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Kiryat Bialik, and Beersheba.
Opposition leader MK Yair Lapid said while speaking outside the Habima Theater in Tel Aviv on Saturday that he was planning a coordinated move involving tax resistance.

“If the October 7 government decides to disregard a High Court of Justice ruling, it will become a criminal government,” the Yesh Atid leader told the multitude in attendance. “We will not be extras in Netanyahu’s crazy theater,” he added.

Histadrut labor federation head Arnon Bar-David also warned of possible economic implications, saying on Friday that a refusal to comply with a High Court ruling was a crossing of a “red line.”
He added that he would not “sit quietly while the State of Israel was being dismantled.”
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara attends the Knesset in Jerusalem. November 18, 2024. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara attends the Knesset in Jerusalem. November 18, 2024. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)
The Presidium of the Israeli Business Sector, which represents 12 companies that together employ 2 million workers, said it was deeply concerned over the attempt to oust Bar and called on the government to “uphold the rule of law and respect court rulings.”
“In a democratic state, the law binds all entities – citizens, businesses, and the government alike. Non-compliance with judicial decisions sets a dangerous precedent that could undermine economic and social stability,” it said.

Other protesting groups 

A group of Israeli hi-tech companies and venture capital funds also threatened economic repercussions, saying that “if the government decides to lead Israel with open eyes into a constitutional crisis, we will shut down the companies and launch a public struggle with the might of all of Israeli society.”

According to its statement, “A violation of a High Court order or any court ruling is a red line from which there is no return. Such a breach would turn Israel into a third-world country, driving away foreign investors.”

Additional protests are planned for the coming days, including one day-long one planned outside the Prime Minister’s Residence on Monday, as well as another Shift 101 protest for the hostages. 

Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.