Israel’s Police Chief Kobi Shabtai announced a policy of “zero tolerance” for pro-Hamas demonstrations within Israel, suggesting that those expressing solidarity with the Gaza Strip should consider relocating there.
In a video posted on Tuesday to the Israel Police’s Arabic TikTok channel, Chief Shabtai extended a welcoming message, saying, “Whoever wants to be a citizen of Israel, ahalan wasahlan,” using common Arabic slang meaning “welcome.” However, he added, “Anyone who wants to identify with Gaza is welcome — I’ll put them on buses that will send them there, I’ll help them get there.”
Chief Shabtai emphasized that there would be “zero tolerance for any instance of incitement,” with no authorization for protests. He argued that Israel is “in a state of war” and stressed that they would not permit individuals to provoke or challenge the situation.
Israel Police spokesman Eli Levy revealed that, since the commencement of hostilities on October 7, 63 individuals in Israel have been arrested on suspicion of supporting or inciting terror. Authorities have been closely monitoring social media to identify Arab Israelis expressing support for Hamas and its actions. The conflict in early October resulted in casualties, with approximately 1,400 people losing their lives, the majority of whom were civilians.
Assistant Commissioner Dror Asraf highlighted the importance of countering incitement, referring to lessons learned after the 2021 war with Gaza. He explained that a dedicated “war room” had been established to monitor and address online incitement, planning, or any information aimed at disrupting public order.
In response to planned pro-Gaza demonstrations circulating on social media, Israeli police had previously declared that such events would not be permitted. Right-wing groups had indicated their intention to intervene to prevent these demonstrations.
During an unauthorized rally, six protesters, including three women, were reportedly arrested, and one person was wounded. Additionally, a protest in the Arab Israeli city of Taybeh was dispersed by police. In a separate incident, a 14-year-old in Kafr Qassem was arrested for sharing a video posted by Hamas on social media, praising the group’s actions against Israelis. The teen’s mother, who accompanied him to a police station, was also arrested after allegedly assaulting a policewoman while making racist remarks.
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