Retired General Yom-Tov Samia Condemns Netanyahu, Calls for Government Change Amid Protests

Amid escalating tensions over the potential resumption of intense conflict with Iran, protests erupted Saturday night in Tel Aviv and Haifa against the Israeli government. Approximately 1,000 people gathered at Tel Aviv's Bimah Square demanding the establishment of a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre, while several hundred protested in Haifa calling for the government's replacement in upcoming elections.

Retired Major General Yom-Tov Samia, former Southern Command chief, addressed the Tel Aviv crowd, criticizing the current coalition government and specifically targeting members of Likud, Shas, and Religious Zionism parties. Samia, who grew up in a religious Libyan Jewish family and founded a national synagogue, lamented that the Likud he knew "left us long ago". He accused the current right-wing coalition of betraying Jewish traditional values and called the October 7 attack a deep wound that was not solely a failure of the IDF and Shin Bet but also of leadership strategy. He highlighted the toll of 1,200 killed and 254 kidnapped, with 49 left to die in captivity, stating, "I will never forgive Netanyahu. The divisions he brought to this country are the real threat to its existence."

Samia urged right-wing voters to stop supporting what he called a "government of malice" that has forgotten what it means to be Jewish and Zionist. He criticized the government for subsidizing draft evasion, weakening the military, and neglecting families struggling with the cost of living.

Shir Matias, whose parents were murdered in the October 7 attack, also spoke in Tel Aviv, emphasizing the growing grief and the fight for the country's future. She condemned the government for demanding power without responsibility and for failing to establish a state inquiry commission. Matias insisted that all officials responsible on October 7, civilian and military, must be held accountable.

In Haifa, activist Hadas Klein expressed concern over the ongoing neglect, warning of an existential threat to Israel’s democracy, values, and security if the current trajectory continues. She stressed that deterioration in education, social resilience, economy, and technology could undermine Israel’s ability to protect its citizens.