Protesters gathered in Jerusalem for the seventh straight day of protests in the city and the eighth day of significant protests around the country against the far-right government and ongoing war in Gaza. Police clashed with anti-government protesters Tuesday, March 25, and a number were arrested as they blocked roads leading to the Knesset building in Jerusalem ahead of the 2025 state budget vote. The lawyers’ network representing detained anti-government protesters accused the police of using excessive force in the arrests.
Police clash with protesters during a demonstration against the government outside the Knesset, in Jerusalem, March 25, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg / Flash90)
As the protesters blocked the road ahead of the budget vote, several lawmakers, including far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and racist Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen, were forced to leave their cars and walk the remaining distance to the Knesset building. In a post on X, Cohen alleged that he had been “attacked with severe violence at the entrance to the Knesset by a group of rioters, backed by the inciting media. The goal of the protest and its leaders is blood in the streets.”
Tuesday’s rally was not the first time that police have been accused in recent days of using excessive force against anti-government protesters, as it has started deploying forces from the newly formed far-right militia National Guard.
Members of its force, a brainchild of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, have been filmed punching, kicking and hurling protesters to the ground at protests in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Despite the protests, the budget passed its third and final reading necessary to become law, in a plenum vote of 66-52. During the debate at the plenum. Hadash lawmakers have harshly criticized the government for cutting around NIS 3 billion ($814 million) across various ministries — affecting the salaries of public sector workers such as teachers and social workers while increasing funds for the war in Gaza, settlements in occupied West Bank, ultra-Orthodox educational institutions, and ministries previously described as superfluous by treasury officials. Overall, the Education, Health and Welfare ministries all had their budgets cut. “This is a budget of war, and with God’s help, it will be a budget of victory,” Finance Minister said moments before voting on the budget began.
The budget totals 756 billion shekels, with an expenditure cap of 620 billion shekels. Of this, 110 billion shekels will go toward the defense budget. Due to the ongoing war and occupation, the budget includes unprecedent taxation, wage cuts, and deductions amounting to 24 billion shekels. These measures include VAT hikes, salary reductions in the public sector, freezing income tax brackets and child allowances, raising National Insurance fees, and a broad budget cut of about 5 billion shekels across government ministries.
Tuesday’s demonstrations in the capital were divided into several areas at the government compound and near Prime Minister residence in Azza Street, with different sections for anti-government and hostage release protests and sit-ins.
In addition of the protest at the Knesset, a large group gathered outside the Prime Minister’s Office, A third protest area was a mostly silent sit-in organized by the Shift 101 group, which included hostage family members and their supporters, sitting on the asphalt at the intersection between the National Library and the Israel Museum. At the sit-in, Family members spoke every so often, talking about their utter despair and the lack of contact with any members of the government.
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32550
