Protesters hide behind a shield as police officers use water cannons to disperse them during a demonstration on July 26, 2020 in Jerusalem, Israel.Amir Levy/Getty Images
Reimposed coronavirus curbs after a spike in new COVID-19 cases have prompted Israelis demanding better state aid to take to the streets in almost daily demonstrations.
Public anger has been also been fuelled by corruption alleged against Netanyahu, who went on trial in May for bribery, fraud and breach of trust – charges he denies.
Israel was one of the first countries to impose a nationwide lockdown and initially was successful in clamping down on the outbreak. Daily cases that numbered in the hundreds dropped to low double digits.
Concerned about the economic toll, the government eased those restrictions – too quickly, some officials have since acknowledged – and infection rates resurged.