Netanyahu likens hostage protesters to ‘fascist militias’ after threats of ‘ring of fire’ around his home

“They threaten to murder me, the prime minister, and my family every day. They said they would surround my home, the Prime Minister’s Residence, with a ring of fire, exactly like fascist militias.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply condemned hostage deal protesters in Jerusalem on Wednesday, accusing them of crossing red lines after demonstrations escalated into arson, vandalism, and confrontations with police.

“In a democracy, protest is legitimate. But what is happening is a funded, organized, political demonstration against the government, and they have crossed every boundary,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.

“They vandalize property, they block roads, they make life miserable for millions of citizens, they chase after public officials and their families. They threaten to murder me, the prime minister, and my family every day. They said they would surround my home, the Prime Minister’s Residence, with a ring of fire, exactly like fascist militias.”

Thirteen people were arrested during the unrest, which included fires in residential areas and near Netanyahu’s official residence.

A car belonging to reserve Major Yoav Bar Ishay, grandson of former finance and justice minister Yaakov Neeman, was set ablaze.

Netanyahu noted that Bar Ishay, a married father of three, had already served more than 260 days of reserve duty since October 7 and is scheduled to return to Gaza for another deployment next week.

Police evacuated nearby residents and condemned the acts, saying, “The right to protest does not grant the right to set property on fire or cause economic and health damage to the public.”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir described the fires as “terror arson” and blamed Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara for enabling the unrest.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid also denounced the arson but turned his criticism toward the government, accusing Netanyahu of abandoning hostages in Gaza. “Netanyahu, maybe enough with the whining and your endless self-victimization? You are the most secure person in the Middle East,” Lapid wrote on X.

The protests coincided with a planned “Day of Disruption” urging the government to strike a deal for the release of 48 hostages held in Gaza.

Netanyahu accused authorities of failing to enforce the law and demanded stronger measures against protesters.