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Israel journalist warns of imminent civil war 

March 27, 2020 at 12:16 pm

Demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel on 3 March 2019. [Faiz Abu Rmeleh – Anadolu Agency]

Journalist Ron Ben-Yishai, who has been covering Israel’s wars since the 1967 Six-Day War, has warned of an increase in violence among Israelis that could mount to civil war due in part to the public’s growing distrust in the government and its leaders.

Ben-Yishai explained in an article published by Yedioth Ahronoth that Israelis currently face two major events; the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing political stalemate. However, he added that growing extremism and a deepening rift between the right-wing, religious bloc and the centre-left and Arabs could lead to a third crisis; civil war.

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He stressed that this horrific scenario began in practice “with the centre-left Israelis protesting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political manoeuvrings and his supporters, in turn, protesting the moves by the ‘anyone but Bibi camp’.”

The renowned journalist warned if the police failed to control the protesters’ violent behaviour in the streets, this could escalate to the use of firearms and even more violence.