Anti-Netanyahu activist leader arrested on week 22 of nationwide protests

Ben Shitrit was arrested by an undercover police officer In front of the Prime Ministerial residence in Jerusalem, after allegedly telling a pro-Netanyahu activist to leave the area. The protest was later dispersed, with five people having been arrested according to Israeli media, with the fifth arrest being a woman who reportedly tossed a rock at a bus containing the other four detainees, and shattered its front window, Ynet reported. She was taken into questioning by the police.   Earlier this week, Ben-Shitrit came under heavy criticism from across the political spectrum for remarks he made on Twitter in which he compared Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.

The Crime Minister movement responded in a statement, saying “Business as usual in the Jerusalem police who continue to abuse protesters and hunt down protest leaders.” 

The movement blamed Jerusalem Police Chief Doron Yedid for the escalation, saying he has “turned his police officers into criminals in the service of a criminal defendant, another example of the dangerous processes Netanyahu is leading. And not from Doron Yedid and his militia.”

Although most weeks up until now have seen the brunt of the protesters gather in Jerusalem, Saturday’s protests were more spread out, with the main protest occurring outside of Netanyahu’s personal residence in Caesaria, where 1,500 protesters have gathered, according to the Movement for Quality Government, with more on the way. 

A large number of protesters have also gathered in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv, and on bridges across the country, with more expected to arrive as the evening progresses.

In a small protest near the northern Israeli town of Shlomi, pro-Netanyahu activists allegedly threw a rock through the windshield of a parked car belonging to an anti-Netanyahu protester.