Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu‏‏ was taken to a safe room last Shabbos after protesters breached one of the barriers outside the Prime Minister’s Residence, it was revealed on Friday – a day and a half after news of the breached Capitol in Washington grabbed international headlines.

According to a Channel 12 News report, anti-Netanyahu protesters who arrived outside the prime minister’s residence at about 4 p.m. on Shabbos for their weekly protests breached a police blockade outside the prime minister’s residence and the Shin Bet decided to move Netanyahu to safety until they could ensure that the residence was completely secure and there was no threat to the prime minister.

Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and others present at his residence in Jerusalem were whisked to a secure compound where they stayed under the supervision of the Shin Bet for about 45 minutes.

קריים מיניסטר טוענים שהמחסום שתראו בתיעוד הוא לכלי רכב ואפשר היה לעבור והרחוב טרם נסגר. אני רואה המון רץ לכיוון הרחוב וחלק מהם גם כמעט מפילים שוטר. pic.twitter.com/9PWlunSdfX

— Yossi Eli יוסי אלי (@Yossi_eli) January 8, 2021

Eight protesters were arrested following the incident and security was subsequently tightened around the residence, including the erection of a barbed wire fence outside the breached barrier.

“Netanyahu’s attempts to compare the protesters to Trump supporters are a direct continuation of the Netanyahu family’s campaign of incitement,” the Black Flags movement responded to the report. “Tomorrow there will be demonstrations for the 29th week in a row, 29 weeks in which there were over 400 documented attacks against the demonstrators. We will continue to fight for Israeli democracy in a non-violent protest – as always.”

Channel 13 News claimed that the report was released following the Capitol riots to create a parallel between those riots and the protests against Netanyahu and that Netanyahu security forces were just following protocol and the prime minister was never in any real danger.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)