Rioters rushed the Prime Minister’s residence in Jerusalem last Saturday night, breaking through a security barrier outside the compound, forcing security forces to evacuate Netanyahu and his family to a safe room inside the building.
Rioters Break Through Security Barrier
They reportedly stayed in the safe room for about 40 minutes during which more police forces arrived on the scene. The situation was then declared safe and the first-family was permitted to leave the safe room. Eight rioters were arrested in the incident.
קריים מיניסטר טוענים שהמחסום שתראו בתיעוד הוא לכלי רכב ואפשר היה לעבור והרחוב טרם נסגר. אני רואה המון רץ לכיוון הרחוב וחלק מהם גם כמעט מפילים שוטר. pic.twitter.com/9PWlunSdfX
— Yossi Eli יוסי אלי (@Yossi_eli) January 8, 2021
The incident was reported on Friday with the police commenting that the decision to do so was surprising.
“We were surprised by the decision to move the prime minister to a secure location,” a police official told N12 on Friday. “There was no apparent justification to do so, as the Prime Minister’s Officials Residence did not face the risk of being breached at any point. The protesters didn’t break through any barrier. They simply didn’t listen to the instructions of police officers to leave the area.”
Barbed wire fences were deployed on Balfour Street near the resident for fear of future break-ins.
הלל ביטון רוזן, חדשות 20 | בכניסה לרחוב בלפור בו מעון ראש הממשלה כעת, נפרסו גדרות תיל מחשש לפריצה של מפגיני שמאל אלימים.
צילום: החולצות הלבנות
Posted by 0404 on Thursday, January 7, 2021
Netanyahu and Trump: Connected in the Battle Against “Lawlessness”
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Netanyahu continued to be supportive of President Trump.
“For generations, American democracy has inspired millions around the world and in Israel. American democracy has always inspired me,” the prime minister said on Friday. “Lawlessness and violence are the opposite of the values we know Americans and Israelis cherish.”
“I have no doubt that American democracy will prevail – it always has,” the prime minister added.
The anti-Netanyahu protests calling for his resignation have been taking place weekly for the past several months in Jerusalem and in other locations around the country. Netanyahu has been battling accusations of bribery and fraud along with claims he has mishandled the pandemic.
Several media outlets conjectured that the announcement of the threat to Netanyahu was intended to show solidarity with US President Trump who has been especially embattled since pro-Trump protesters in Washington D.C. turned violent and entered the Capital Building.
“Clearly, of course, releasing this now is designed to create some sense of parallel with the attack on the Capitol,” Channel 13’s Alon Ben-David said. “That is not the case; there was no threat to the life of the prime minister and no real likelihood that the demonstrators would break into the PM’s official residence.”
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