National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir held a situation assessment at the Tel Aviv Police Headquarters on Wednesday afternoon with Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai and the deputy commander of the Tel Aviv Police District.
""Zero tolerance must be shown towards anarchists who attack police officers, break through police checkpoints and bring about anarchy," the minister said.
Ben Gvir emphasized that he "supports the Israel Police officers for using the means to disperse the anarchists who rioted and tried to block the Ayalon Highways. Throughout the morning, the police treated the anarchists with great patience, but from the moment they crossed all the boundaries, broke through the barriers and threw them at the police, threw stones at the police and brought about anarchy, the Israel Police must use all the means at its disposal to maintain public order and the daily lives of Israeli citizens.
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""Freedom of expression and freedom of demonstration yes, anarchy - under no circumstances.".
In response, opposition leader Yair Lapid attacked: "I call on the police commissioner to ignore Minister Ben Gvir's political, dangerous and irresponsible attempts to further inflame the situation. The protesters are Israeli patriots and the best fighters in the IDF. They are fighting for the values of freedom, justice and democracy. The police's job is to allow them to express their opinions and fight for the country they love.".
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement condemning the protesters and expressed support for the police: "We will not accept violence against police officers, roadblocks, and blatant violations of the laws of the state. The right to demonstrate is not the right to anarchy. I give full support to the Minister of National Security Ben Gvir, the Police Commissioner, and the officers of the Israel Police, who are acting against lawbreakers who disrupt the daily lives of Israeli citizens.".
