Israeli cabinet casts no-confidence vote against attorney general
Critics see the no-confidence vote as part of broader moves to weaken judicial checks on Netanyahu’s government. Israel’s cabinet has passed a vote of no confidence against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, the country’s justice minister has said, in a first step in the removal of yet another vocal critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government. The vote on Sunday comes just two days after the government dismissed Ronen Bar, the head of Shin Bet, the country’s internal security agency – a decision later frozen by the Supreme Court. Baharav-Miara, the country’s most senior legal official, is accused of “inappropriate behaviour” and of “ongoing substantial differences of opinion between the government and the attorney general, which prevents effective collaboration”, according to the prime minister’s office. The attorney general, who did not attend the cabinet meeting, refuted the claims and accused the government of trying to operate above the law. The vote of no confidence aimed at gaining “limitless power, as part of a wider move to weaken the judicial branch” and to “promote loyalty to the government”, she said in a letter sent to the cabinet ahead of the vote. Advertisement The vote does not translate into her dismissal yet. A committee will review the arguments and hold a hearing to consider the case. Should the committee fail to support her removal, the Supreme Court could still block it. People protest against moves by the Israeli government to fire Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and the dismissal of Shin Bet chief, Ronen Bar, as a cabinet meeting is taking place, in Jerusalem [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters] The attempted dismissal of both the Shin Bet chief and the attorney general has attracted thousands of protesters who say the unprecedented moves are a threat to democracy and part of a crackdown on the few remaining voices critical of Netanyahu. The prime minister, meanwhile, has cited an “ongoing lack of trust” in Bar, who is expected to testify on April 8. Netanyahu has insisted it is up to the government to decide who will head Shin Bet. Critics say the prime minister moved against Bar due to his criticism of the government over the security failure that allowed Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the deadliest day in the country’s history. They also allege that Netanyahu’s ongoing bribery trial is at play. Shin Bet has investigated Netanyahu’s close associates on suspicion of receiving money linked to Qatar. Bar said in a letter that his ouster was motivated by a desire to halt the “pursuit of truth” about the events leading up to October 7. Shin Bet this month released a report that acknowledged it should have thwarted the Hamas-led assault while criticising Netanyahu for helping to create the conditions for the attacks. Advertisement Netanyahu’s office has dismissed such accusations as “fake news”. Adblock test (Why?)
Ronaldo has ‘no problem’ with Hojlund’s ‘Siu’ celebration in Nations League
Portugal captain hopes to show Hojlund and Denmark his celebration as both sides meet in the Nations League quarters. Cristiano Ronaldo has responded to Rasmus Hojlund’s imitation of his famous “Siu” celebration, saying it was an honour to see the Denmark striker mimic it during their UEFA Nations League clash. “For me, it was not a problem,” Ronaldo said on Saturday, before the second leg of their quarterfinal. “I knew that this was not because he did not have respect for me. “I’m smart enough to understand that not only him but around the world people from other sports also do my celebration,” the Portuguese star told reporters before the clash on Sunday. “For me, it is an honour. “But [on Sunday] I hope that he can see my celebration. It is OK for me. If I score, it’s good for me, but if I don’t score and someone else scores, that’s fine with me.” Hojlund scored the winning goal against Portugal in the first leg of their quarterfinal on Thursday and leapt up in the air for his own version of the “Siu” celebration but said he was not trying to make fun of his “idol”. The Manchester United forward’s 78th-minute strike earned Denmark a 1-0 first-leg win over Ronaldo’s Portugal, with the 40-year-old veteran striker completely frozen out at the other end on a frustrating night. Advertisement “I’m playing against the world’s best footballer, my idol, and to score and become the [match] winner, it couldn’t be better,” Hojlund told Denmark’s TV2. “It was not to mock him or anything, I’ve always said he has had great importance for me and my football career. “Scoring against him and Portugal is huge, I went to see him in 2009, where he scored from a free kick, and I’ve been a fan ever since.” Rasmus Hojlund, right, celebrates after scoring for Denmark during the first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarterfinal against Portugal at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen on March 20, 2025 [Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP] ‘No need to be nervous’ Meanwhile, Ronaldo acknowledged the pressure surrounding Portugal as they look to overturn the deficit. The Al-Nassr striker was highly critical of himself and his team’s performance in the first leg in Copenhagen but he is confident the home crowd can play a key role in turning the tie around. “The air is more tense. I’m not hiding it. We’re in a tense moment because we need to win, but that’s the beautiful thing about football,” Ronaldo told reporters on Saturday. “Tomorrow, I’m calling on the fans to be with us. Let them give us their strength, because we’re going to try to do our best. “I’ve lost games in 90 minutes, but I’ve never lost in the first leg. There are games like that, there are bad days. I didn’t play at all the other day, the team didn’t play at all, but it’s part of life. “Tomorrow I want to leave the Alvalade Stadium with my head held high. If I score, I’ll be happy, but if I don’t score, let someone else score, what I want is for Portugal to win.” Advertisement Ronaldo denied any lack of attitude in the team and was confident they could unite and progress to the semifinals. “There’s always attitude in the national team. Technical aspects, of course, but other things were lacking too. That’s football, you can’t always play well,” he said. “There’s no need to be nervous. The past is the past. I know there are a lot of people who want us to lose, but if the few who are there are united and have good energy, I’m sure we’ll get a great result tomorrow. “We lost the game and played badly, but we have the second leg tomorrow. Calm down. Think positive and think that things will go well.” Adblock test (Why?)
Pope Francis leaves hospital after first public appearance in five weeks
Pope calls for an immediate end to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza as he arrives home at the Vatican. Pope Francis has arrived home at the Vatican after leaving the Gemelli University Hospital in Rome, shortly after making his first public appearance following a five-week long hospitalisation for life-threatening bout of pneumonia. The 88-year-old, who was admitted on February 14 after a bout of bronchitis worsened, greeted his well-wishers on Sunday from a balcony of Gemelli hospital before his discharge. Using a wheelchair, as he has for several years, the pope smiled, waved, and made a sign of a thumbs up at a group of well-wishers gathered outside below. The pope, whose face looked swollen, appeared only for a few moments. Francis spoke briefly, with a feeble voice, to thank one an elderly woman among the crowd below, who had brought yellow flowers. Later, a car carrying Francis left the hospital shortly after noon, and was accompanied through Rome by a convoy of police vehicles. Pope Francis appears in public for the first time in five weeks. [Handout/Vatican Media via Reuters] Call for end to Israeli strikes As he was being discharged, the Vatican released the Pope’s Angelus prayer calling for an “immediate” end to Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip, and for the resumption of dialogue for the release of captives and a “definitive ceasefire”. Advertisement “I am saddened by the resumption of the intense Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, with so many deaths and injuries”, Francis wrote. “I ask that the weapons be silenced immediately and that the courage be found to resume dialogue so that all the hostages can be freed and a definitive ceasefire reached”, said Francis, who was set to return to the Vatican on Sunday. “The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is once again very serious and requires the urgent commitment of the conflicting parties and the international community,” he said. Francis had only been seen by the public once before during his hospital stay, in a photo the Vatican released last week, showing the pontiff at prayer in a hospital chapel. In the moments before the pontiff’s appearance on Sunday, the crowd of hundreds of well-wishers called out for the pope, chanting “Francis, Francis, Francis”. On Saturday, one of the doctors treating him said the head of the Roman Catholic Church would be discharged from hospital on Sunday and would need two months of rest at the Vatican. Adblock test (Why?)
Why are there protests in Turkiye? What to know
Tens of thousands in cities around Turkiye protested on Saturday against the arrest of a prominent opposition politician. Citizens defied a ban on gathering and took to the streets, with supporters of the opposition politician describing the charges as politicised. These are Turkiye’s largest protests in more than a decade. Here’s what you need to know about the mass protests and what’s happening in Turkiye. Protesters gather outside the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building on March 19, 2025 [Murad Sezer/Reuters] Why are there protests in Turkiye? People took to the streets over the arrest of Ekrem Imamoglu, Istanbul’s mayor and a potential opposition candidate in the upcoming Turkish presidential election. His supporters say the charges are politicised and aimed at blocking him from running for president in three years. Some protesters however say this is bigger than Imamoglu and represents wider struggles, including concerns with democracy, the economy, education, and healthcare systems. Advertisement When did the protests start? The protests began on Wednesday, the same day Imamoglu was arrested, with thousands gathering at Istanbul University to decry the arrest. They have continued since, with the largest protest to date on Saturday evening. Who is Ekrem Imamoglu and what happened to him? He is the mayor of Istanbul and a potential candidate in the next presidential election with the Republican People’s Party (CHP). The 53-year-old took office in 2019 and was re-elected in 2024. On March 19, Imamoglu was arrested, with more than 100 other people, by Turkish police on charges of corruption and allegedly aiding an outlawed political group. A day earlier, Istanbul University had revoked his degree, which would make him ineligible for running for president. He had a bachelor’s in business administration and a master’s in human resource management. The university claimed there were irregularities in his diploma after he transferred from a private university in northern Cyprus. The move came just days before the CHP was set to choose its candidate in the 2028 presidential election. Imamoglu has been jailed for corruption charges that supporters dispute [Murad Sezer/Reuters] What has he been charged with? Imamoglu was initially charged with corruption, bribery and “terrorism”. Istanbul prosecutors said Imamoglu led a criminal organisation engaging in systematic fraud, bid-rigging, embezzlement, and bribery, according to Anadolu Agency (AA), the Turkish newswire. He was also accused of aiding the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkiye, the United States and the European Union consider a terrorist group. Advertisement “Prosecutors allege that Imamoglu took part in an ‘urban consensus’ initiative tied to the People’s Democratic Congress [HDK], a pro-terrorist PKK entity, before Turkiye’s March 2024 local elections,” AA reported. According to Turkish media, the “urban consensus” was an effort to give Kurdish actors more influence in municipal politics. On Sunday, the court ruled that Imamoglu be jailed without bail pending trial on the corruption charges. The “terrorism” charges, however, were dropped. A Turkish court held up the corruption charges, saying: “Although there is a strong suspicion of aiding an armed terrorist organisation, since it has already been decided that he will be arrested for financial crimes, (his arrest) is not deemed necessary at this stage.” Since Imamoglu was not charged with “terror” charges, the court won’t be able to appoint a government trustee to the municipality of Istanbul, Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu reported, adding that the mayor will be elected from within the municipal council. A police officer uses crowd control spray to disperse demonstrators during a protest against the detention of Imamoglu, in Istanbul, Turkiye, March 22, 2025 [Murad Sezer/Reuters] What did he say about these charges so far? Imamoglu denied the charges. “I see today during my interrogation that I and my colleagues are faced with unimaginable accusations and slanders,” Imamoglu said Saturday in his defence during a hearing, according to a document seen by the Reuters news agency. “I strongly reject all allegations.” Advertisement He has posted on his page on X, formerly Twitter, thanking international actors for supporting him and the protesters who have taken to the streets. A mother’s heart speaks the deepest truth. For all the mothers and the children of Türkiye and their future, we must persevere. pic.twitter.com/lto9h8TCcd — Ekrem İmamoğlu (International) (@imamoglu_int) March 20, 2025 What did President Erdogan say? On Friday, Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a public speech where he said the justice system should be allowed to do its job without interference. He denounced the protests, labelling them as “street terror” and saying: “We will not accept the disruption of public order. “Pointing to the streets instead of courtrooms to defend theft, plunder, lawlessness and fraud is a grave irresponsibility,” Erdogan said. “Just as we have not surrendered to street terrorism until now, we will not bow to vandalism in the future, either.” CHP’ye çökmüş bir avuç paragözün asırlık partiyi parmağında oynatması, “Gazi’nin emaneti” diyerek CHP’ye oy veren insanlarımızı da üzüyor. Emin olun, samimi CHP’li vatandaşlarımız da İSKİ skandalından 32 yıl sonra aynı rezilliklere tekrar şahit olmayı içlerine sindiremiyor. pic.twitter.com/1D4UVCWoOe — Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) March 22, 2025 Translation: The fact that a handful of greedy people who have become attached to the CHP are manipulating the century-old party is also upsetting our people who voted for the CHP, saying it is “the legacy of the Ghazi”. Be assured, our sincere CHP citizens cannot stomach witnessing the same disgrace again 32 years after the İSKİ scandal. How big are the protests? At least tens of thousands have taken to Istanbul’s streets. Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel said more than 300,000 people had joined the protest, and they had gathered at several places across the country’s largest city due to the road and bridge closures preventing people from all being in one place. Advertisement These are Istanbul’s biggest anti-government protests since the Gezi Park demonstrations in 2013. Protesters threw stones and flares at Turkish police, who responded with pepper spray. In Turkiye’s capital Ankara, protesters were met with police water cannons and tear gas. Ali Yerlikaya, Turkiye’s interior minister, said 323 people had been
US wants to negotiate with Iran on nuclear programme: US envoy
Tehran accuses US of bullying tactics as nuclear deal uncertainty deepens under Trump’s renewed pressure campaign. US President Donald Trump’s outreach to Iran’s Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on a possible new nuclear deal is an attempt to avoid direct military action, US special envoy Steve Witkoff has said. “We don’t need to solve everything militarily,” Witkoff told Fox News on Sunday. “Our signal to Iran is ‘Let’s sit down and see if we can, through dialogue, through diplomacy, get to the right place’. If we can, we are prepared to do that. And if we can’t, the alternative is not a great alternative.” Witkoff’s comments come after Trump said on March 7 that he sent a letter to the Iranian leadership seeking to engage in talks over Iran’s nuclear activities and warning of potential military action if it refused. The approach was slammed by Khamenei, who said Iran was not going to engage with a “bully”. Trump has also threatened Tehran over any support for the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, who have resumed their military support for Palestinians by targeting Israel after it blockaded aid and then resumed its war in Gaza. Advertisement Amid intense US air strikes on Yemen last week, Trump said the US will hold Tehran responsible for any attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, dismissing Iran’s insistence that the group operates independently. Talks with the US are impossible unless Washington changes its pressure policy the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday. On Thursday, he said that the letter was “actually more of a threat”, and that Tehran would respond soon. There is little trust in Iran in US negotiation commitments after Trump in 2018 pulled the US out of a landmark nuclear deal – the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – imposing instead additional sanctions on Iran. The JCOPA was signed with world powers in 2015 to curb Iran’s nuclear deal in exchange for sanctions relief. Since Trump’s unilateral withdrawal from the accord, Iran has accelerated its enrichment of uranium to up to 60 percent purity – a step away from the 90 percent level needed for weapons-grade uranium. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which carries out inspections of Iranian nuclear sites, Iran has amassed enough fissile material for multiple bombs, but has made no effort to build one. While Trump has hinted at the desire to negotiate with Iran since returning to the White House earlier this year, he has reinstated a “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. And on Wednesday, senior White House officials again said Iran must do away with its nuclear programme entirely, leaving all uranium enrichment activity, even at low levels. Advertisement That, along with Trump’s threats of military action against Iran, has prompted calls from within Iran to abandon its officially stated policy that it will never pursue nuclear weapons. Adblock test (Why?)
Canada’s PM Carney triggers snap election, vote set for April 28
Montreal, Canada – Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney has moved to dissolve Parliament and trigger a snap election on April 28. The widely anticipated decision on Sunday kicks off an election race less than two weeks after Carney took up his post, succeeding Justin Trudeau at a time of soaring tensions with the United States. “We are facing the most significant crisis of our lifetimes because of President [Donald] Trump’s unjustified trade actions and his threats to our sovereignty,” the Liberal Party leader told reporters in Ottawa after he met with the governor general to request parliament’s dissolution. “I’m asking Canadians for a strong, positive mandate to deal with President Trump and to build a new Canadian economy that works for everyone because I know we need change – big change, positive change.” The election had to be held by October 20, but experts say Carney is hoping that an early vote will benefit his Liberal Party, which is riding a wave of momentum. The party, which has been in government since 2015, has seen a surge in support since Trudeau’s January announcement that he planned to step down and amid repeated threats from Trump. Advertisement The US president’s tariffs and calls to annex Canada have fuelled anger and uncertainty, and many Canadians have been supportive of the Liberal government’s firm — and unified — response to Washington. After years of criticism for their handling of soaring housing costs and an affordability crisis, the Liberals are now locked in a neck-and-neck fight with the opposition Conservatives, according to recent polls. As recently as January, the Tories enjoyed a double-digit lead over their rivals and were expected to easily coast to victory in the federal election. “[Carney] wants to call the election while he still has this kind of momentum as a new leader — and while the shock of the Trump administration is still front of mind for Canadians,” Lisa Young, a political science professor at the University of Calgary, told Al Jazeera. The US president has repeatedly said he wants to make Canada into the “51st state”, sparking a surge in Canadian nationalism. He also has imposed steep tariffs on Canadian goods that economists say could plunge the country into a recession. Against that backdrop, several experts told Al Jazeera that the upcoming vote’s central “ballot question” will be which party leader is best equipped to respond to Trump and manage Canada-US ties. “And that’s a ballot question that is much better for Mark Carney,” Young said. Carney — an economist and former central banker — has the highest approval ratings of any federal party leader, according to an Ipsos poll released on Thursday. Canadians also viewed him as the leader best able to deal with Trump’s tariffs and their fallout. Advertisement Carney has promised to continue with Trudeau’s firm response to the levies, including imposing reciprocal countermeasures against the US, Canada’s top global trading partner. The Liberal leader also has rejected Trump’s push to annex Canada, calling the idea “crazy” and saying Canadian sovereignty must be respected before he will hold talks with Washington. Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre [Carlos Osorio/Reuters] Meanwhile, the opposition Conservatives are hoping to regain some of the ground they have lost since the start of the year. Experts say Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who is known for his incendiary rhetoric and attacks against Trudeau, has struggled to find solid messaging in the face of Trump. Poilievre’s combative political style also has drawn comparisons to the US president, raising questions about how he would handle Trump if the Conservatives win the election and he becomes prime minister. But Poilievre has slammed the Liberals for their record in government over the past decade and said Canadians can count on him to stand up for the country. “I know a lot of people are worried, angry and anxious — and with good reason — as a result of the [US] president’s unacceptable threats against our country,” he said during a news conference to launch his campaign on Sunday morning. “I share your anger and I share the worry for our future. But I also draw great resolve in knowing that we can transform the anxiety and anger into action,” Poilievre said. “I will protect Canada and I will always put our country first.” Advertisement The CBC News Poll Tracker, which aggregates polling data across Canada, had the Liberals with 37.5 percent support compared with 37.1 percent for the Conservatives as of Sunday. The left-leaning New Democratic Party, led by Jagmeet Singh, was in third with 11.6 percent, followed by Yves-Francois Blanchet’s Bloc Quebecois at 6.4 percent. The parties will be vying for 343 seats in the lower house of Canada’s Parliament, known as the House of Commons. Under Canada’s parliamentary system, the party that wins the most seats typically will be asked to form a government. The leader of that party will also become prime minister. Adblock test (Why?)
South African ambassador expelled by Trump receives hero’s welcome at home
Ebrahim Rasool addresses supporters, calling his persona non grata status a badge of dignity after his US expulsion. The South African ambassador who was expelled from the United States in a row with US President Donald Trump’s administration has arrived home to a raucous welcome and struck a defiant tone over the decision. Crowds at Cape Town International Airport surrounded Ebrahim Rasool and his wife Rosieda on Sunday as they emerged in the arrivals terminal in their hometown. They needed a police escort to help them navigate their way through the building. “A declaration of persona non grata is meant to humiliate you,” Rasool told supporters as he addressed them with a megaphone. “But when you return to crowds like this, and with warmth … like this, then I will wear my persona non grata as a badge of dignity.” “It was not our choice to come home, but we come home with no regrets.” Admirers welcome Ebrahim Rasool at South Africa’s Cape Town International Airport [Esa Alexander/Reuters] Rasool also said it was important for South Africa to fix its relationship with the US after Trump punished the country and accused it of taking an anti-American stance even before the decision to expel Rasool. Advertisement Trump issued an executive order last month cutting all funding to South Africa, alleging its government is supporting the Palestinian group Hamas and Iran, and pursuing anti-white policies at home. South Africa filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023, which accuses Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in its war on the Gaza Strip. More than 10 countries have since joined South Africa in the genocide case. “We don’t come here to say we are anti-American,” Rasool said to the crowd. “We are not here to call on you to throw away our interests with the United States.” South Africa’s expelled ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, speaks upon his arrival at the airport [Esa Alexander/Reuters] They were the ex-ambassador’s first public comments since the Trump administration declared him persona non grata over a week ago, removed his diplomatic immunities and privileges, and gave him until Friday to leave the country. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who issued the declaration on X, said Rasool was a “race-baiting politician” who hates the US and Trump. It is highly unusual for the US to expel a foreign ambassador. Rubio’s post linked to a story by the conservative Breitbart news site that reported on a talk Rasool gave on a webinar organised by a South African think tank. In his talk, Rasool spoke in academic language of the Trump administration’s crackdowns on diversity and equity programmes and immigration and mentioned the possibility of a US where white people soon would no longer be in the majority. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Turkish court jails Istanbul Mayor pending trial on corruption charges
NewsFeed A Turkish court has ordered Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to be held in jail ahead of a trial on corruption charges. Imamoglu, who denies the charges, is a key rival to President Erdogan. His arrest sparked mass protests. The government says the courts acted independently. Published On 23 Mar 202523 Mar 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Pakistan kills 16 fighters amid rising Afghanistan border tensions
Pakistan says all fighters killed overnight in North Waziristan while urging Afghan government to secure its borders. Pakistan’s army has said its forces killed 16 armed fighters along the country’s western border with Afghanistan. Pakistan has “consistently been asking the Interim Afghan Government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border”, according to an army statement Sunday. Border troops killed all the fighters in an exchange of fire during the night between March 22 and 23 in North Waziristan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the army said. “Own troops effectively engaged and thwarted their attempt to infiltrate,” it added. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined and remain committed to secure its borders and eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country.” The incident took place as Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Sadiq Khan is on a two-day official visit to Kabul to talk about bilateral and economic issues, a statement from Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul said. Earlier this month, Pakistan’s security forces raided two hideouts used by an armed group in the Mohmand and Dera Ismail Khan districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Advertisement Once considered one of the Afghan Taliban’s closest allies, Pakistan has seen relations with its neighbour deteriorate over the past three years. Islamabad blames Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers for failing to curb the activities of the Pakistan Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a group that emerged in 2007 and has since carried out hundreds of attacks against Pakistani security forces. In 2024 alone, Pakistan has witnessed more than 500 attacks, resulting in more than 1,500 deaths among civilians and law enforcement personnel. The outlawed TTP is a separate group but an ally of the Afghan Taliban, who reseized power in neighbouring Afghanistan in August 2021 as United States and other NATO troops were in the final stages of a withdrawal from the country after 20 years of war. The Pakistani government has frequently accused Afghan citizens of involvement in these attacks and claims Kabul provides shelter to TTP, a charge the Afghan Taliban denies. Adblock test (Why?)
Thousands of Israelis protest Shin Bet chief’s dismissal, for captives
Thousands of people in Israel have gathered in Tel Aviv to protest against the decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to dismiss the head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service and resume fighting in Gaza. Netanyahu said this week that he had lost confidence in Ronen Bar, who has led Shin Bet since 2021, and intended to fire him effective April 10, prompting three days of protests. On Saturday, the Israeli leader said the country will remain democratic despite the security chief’s dismissal. In Tel Aviv’s Habima Square, protesters waved blue and white Israeli flags and called for a deal that would see the release of the remaining Israeli captives being held in Gaza. “The most dangerous enemy of Israel is Benjamin Netanyahu,” protester Moshe Haaharony, 63, told the Reuters news agency. “Benjamin Netanyahu for 20 years doesn’t care about the country, doesn’t care about the citizens.” Netanyahu has dismissed accusations the decision was politically motivated, but his critics have accused him of undermining the institutions underpinning Israel’s democracy by seeking Bar’s removal. Advertisement Israel’s Supreme Court issued an injunction on Friday, temporarily freezing the dismissal. Netanyahu and Bar have been at loggerheads for months amid tensions over a bribery investigation focused on the prime minister’s office and recriminations over the failure to prevent the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel. Bar said in a letter that his ouster was motivated by a desire to halt the “pursuit of truth” about the events leading up to October 7. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called for a general strike on Saturday if Netanyahu refuses to heed the Supreme Court’s ruling freezing Bar’s firing. “If the October 7 government decides not to obey the court’s decision, it will become an outlaw government that day,” Lapid told protesters in Tel Aviv. “If this happens, the entire country must shut down,” he said, stressing that “the only system that must not shut down is the security system.” Some Israelis are denouncing what they see as an autocratic shift by Netanyahu, who is convening his cabinet on Sunday to launch impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, another critic of the prime minister. Baharav-Miara, who also serves as the government’s legal adviser, warned Netanyahu that the Supreme Court’s decision temporarily “prohibits” him from appointing a new Shin Bet chief. A protest against the attorney general’s dismissal is also planned for Sunday outside the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, and near the prime minister’s private residence in West Jerusalem. Protesters in Tel Aviv call for action to secure the release of Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip since the October 7, 2023, attacks [Jack Guez/AFP] At Saturday’s rally, protesters held up placards reading, “No more bloodshed,” “How much more blood must be shed?” and “Stop the war, now!” to ensure the return of 59 captives still being held in the Gaza Strip. Advertisement Israel returned to war in Gaza on Tuesday, shattering a ceasefire that saw the exchange of captives being held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and brought a respite to the battered and besieged enclave. Since the start of the war, there have been regular protests by families and supporters of captives seized by Hamas during the October 7 attacks that have sometimes also criticised the government. “We are a year and a half later after we had very fierce fighting in Gaza, and Hamas is still in power,” protester Erez Berman, 44, told Reuters. “It still has tens of thousands of fighters, so the Israeli government actually failed in getting its own goals out of the war.” With the resumption of Israel’s war in Gaza, the fate of the captives, as many as 24 of whom are still believed to be alive, remains unclear, and protesters said a return to war could see them either killed by their captors or by Israeli bombardments. Ophir Falk, Netanyahu’s foreign policy adviser, said military pressure pushed Hamas to accept the first truce in November 2023, in which about 80 captives were returned. He argued this was also the surest way to force the release of the remaining captives. Adblock test (Why?)