Could Capitol Hill riots happen in Israel’s Knesset?

Jan 15, 2021

In Israel, too, sights of the US Capitol being invaded appeared unimaginable. Local opponents of President Donald Trump, who constitute a minority among Israelis, celebrated a moral victory while his supporters barricaded themselves behind uncomfortable embarrassment. Above it all hung one key question: Could such a clash be reenacted in Jerusalem? Could the zealous, enthusiastic political base loyal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who swears by him and believes all the conspiracy theories he spreads, feeble though they may be, mount an assault on the institutions of Israeli democracy and attempt a violent coup?

The answer depends on whom you ask. “Don’t be fooled,” a person who worked closely with Netanyahu for many years told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “What happened in Washington could happen in Jerusalem.” According to this source, who has been observing with shock the systematic attempts by Netanyahu and his followers to dismantle Israeli democracy, the events in Washington are “exactly the Netanyahu family’s plan to set the streets and the state on fire if, and when, Netanyahu is forced to leave the prime minister’s residence. This is exactly what they are counting on, and this is their plan for the decisive moment, if and when it comes.”

Many others agree with him. “The original Netanyahu, dignified, level-headed and averse to adventurism, would never have dreamed of inciting the masses of his followers against the Knesset,” a person who knows Netanyahu well and worked with him closely for years told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “The problem is that we lost the original Netanyahu a long time ago. He was replaced by a messianic mutation that has a mystic belief in its mission and power and cannot bear the thought of leaving the prime minister’s job, in general, and especially standing criminal trial on charges of bribery.”

The answer to the question of whether a Capitol-type assault is possible in Israel does not rest only with Netanyahu, his wife Sara and son Yair. The other unknown is Netanyahu’s supporters. Is Netanyahu capable of sweeping along a mass of people who will mount a violent charge on the institutions of government? Will the unbelievable sights the world saw unfolding on Jan. 7 as the mob ransacked Congress play out in Jerusalem, too?

This is where it gets complicated. Despite the massive, sweeping support Netanyahu enjoys among almost half the Israeli electorate, the protests held on his behalf in recent months have drawn only a handful of demonstrators. Since the mass anti-Netanyahu movement broke out around the country last summer, his acolytes have been trying to mount counter-demonstrations to confront the determined opponents protesting against his continued rule. At best, these counter-protests have drawn a few dozen participants, nothing like the tens of thousands on the other side.