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Could Capitol Hill riots happen in Israel’s Knesset?

People who worked with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argue that what happened in Washington on Capitol Hill could also happen in Jerusalem.
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 06: Members of the National Guard and the Washington D.C. police keep a small group of demonstrators away from the Capital after thousands of Donald Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol building following a "Stop the Steal" rally on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. The protesters stormed the historic building, breaking windows and clashing with police. Trump supporters had gathered in the nation's capital today to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Bide

In Israel, too, sights of the US Capitol being invaded appeared unimaginable. Local opponents of President Donald Trump, who constitute a minority among Israelis, celebrated a moral victory while his supporters barricaded themselves behind uncomfortable embarrassment. Above it all hung one key question: Could such a clash be reenacted in Jerusalem? Could the zealous, enthusiastic political base loyal to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who swears by him and believes all the conspiracy theories he spreads, feeble though they may be, mount an assault on the institutions of Israeli democracy and attempt a violent coup?

The answer depends on whom you ask. “Don’t be fooled,” a person who worked closely with Netanyahu for many years told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “What happened in Washington could happen in Jerusalem.” According to this source, who has been observing with shock the systematic attempts by Netanyahu and his followers to dismantle Israeli democracy, the events in Washington are “exactly the Netanyahu family’s plan to set the streets and the state on fire if, and when, Netanyahu is forced to leave the prime minister’s residence. This is exactly what they are counting on, and this is their plan for the decisive moment, if and when it comes.”

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