Israel’s Protest Movement Re-Emerges With Focus on Bringing Down Netanyahu

JERUSALEM—Israel’s mass antigovernment protest movement has re-emerged after a sudden halt in the wake of the Oct. 7 attack, revitalized by the families of hostages and putting pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the war.

Whether the movement, which before the war drew half a million Israelis to the streets a week, can galvanize the same level of support will be a test of its potential to take down Netanyahu’s right-wing, ultranationalist and religious government and force new elections. 

In four days of protests ending Wednesday, large crowds came out to call for the government to make the return of hostages from Gaza a priority and to push for elections. On Sunday, as around 100,000 protested across the country according to organizers, tens of thousands surrounded the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem. While the turnout was below prewar levels, the revival of demonstrations showed how Israelis have become increasingly frustrated by Netanyahu’s handling of the war.