A group of Israelis in the UK has demonstrated against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s "assault on democracy" as Israel resumed hostilities against Hamas in Gaza.
A small protest took place outside the Israeli embassy on Kensington High Street on Tuesday afternoon, where members of grassroots group We Democracy held banners that said “We are not out government,” “Hostage deal now” and “Stop Netanyahu.”
We Democracy has accused the Israeli PM of "dismantling Israel’s democratic foundations."
Referring to Netanyahu’s controversial decision on Sunday to move towards firing the head of Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, and reports that he could be planning to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, a spokesperson for the Israeli diaspora group said: "Netanyahu’s broader agenda includes weakening the judiciary, silencing the free press, and dismantling the last remaining checks on his power.
"He is silencing dissent, undermining the judiciary, and empowering extremists — all under the cover of renewed war. This is not leadership — it’s survival at any cost."
The We Democracy organisers added: "True loyalty to Israel means standing up when its core values are under threat. Remaining silent while Netanyahu dismantles democracy and abandons the hostages is the opposite of support — it’s surrendering Israel to extremists.”
(Photo: Yair Perry)[Missing Credit]
They called on British Jews to join their protests. "Many in the Jewish community hesitate to criticise Israel publicly out of loyalty and fear of fuelling anti-Israel sentiment," their statement said, adding that "silence in this moment is not support — it’s complicity."
We Democracy have planned further demonstrations in Oxford on Wednesday and in London again on Sunday.
The protest was a response to what the group has called Netanyahu’s "reckless prioritisation of political survival over human lives."
A spokesperson accused the Israeli PM of refusing to engage in serious hostage negotiations while renewing military action in Gaza, leaving 59 hostages still trapped. "Many of them are alive, with their fate hanging in the balance.
"His recent political manoeuvres, including welcoming back far-right leader Itamar Ben Gvir to secure political support, demonstrate that his primary focus is holding onto power — not protecting Israeli citizens or restoring peace," the statement said.
“His actions mean death to the hostages in Gaza. If we don’t speak out now, it will soon be too late,” the statement went on.
The protest follows a letter written by We Democracy at the end of 2024, when they wrote to the UK government asking for sanctions against Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
More than 220 Israelis living in the UK signed the group’s sharply worded letter calling on the British government to sanction the two far-right ministers in Netanyahu’s coalition, accusing them of threatening democracy and advocating policies that violate international law.
Signatories urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy to target Smotrich and Ben-Gvir for their efforts to annex the West Bank and resettle Gaza.
The letter demanded the UK "implement sanctions against two extremist Israeli ministers," accusing them of "doing all they can to prevent a hostage and ceasefire deal and instead focusing their entire energies on their messianic aims: annexing the West Bank and settling the Gaza Strip."
Some members of We Democracy were part of a group of Israelis in the UK who protested against Netanyahu’s 2023 judicial reforms. Hundreds of Britons joined the London demonstrations against the PM’s judicial reforms in the summer before October 7.
