For more than a decade, Jerusalem has been viewed as one of Benjamin Netanyahu’s strongest electoral bastions. Yet on Saturday night the city looked different. Tens of thousands filled its streets in a protest for the hostages, with many arriving from outside the city. The march created a new public arena inside a capital long associated with loyalty to Netanyahu
The march from the Bridge of Strings into central Jerusalem
Saturday night witnessed an extraordinary march. Crowds poured down from the Bridge of Strings at the city’s entrance, forming a human river flowing toward the center. They carried flags, banners and chants, with anger over the hostages binding them into a determined collective. In a city long loyal to Benjamin Netanyahu, the atmosphere felt strikingly different.
Amid this backdrop, the protest resonated beyond local politics and became part of a broader national story
כיכר פריז בירושלים, הפגנת תמיכה במשפחות החטופים.
קרדיט אביב אטלס Aviv Atlas pic.twitter.com/8HotrLNd9M
— 𝐎𝐧 𝐀𝐳𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥🇮🇱 (@iloveisraell) September 6, 2025
Paris Square facing the Prime Minister’s Residence
The march culminated at Paris Square, next to the Prime Minister’s official residence. In recent years the square has become a focal point for demonstrations, and this time it held an unprecedented crowd. Thousands pressed together, demanding an immediate deal to free the hostages. The proximity to Netanyahu’s home made the protest especially charged: not in Tel Aviv, but in Jerusalem, at the gates of power
This scene highlighted the divide between a city associated with Netanyahu’s supporters and a national movement now challenging his rule
פניו היפים של הביביזם
אמש צמוד לתחנת @IL_police
מוריה pic.twitter.com/hK0qwKWwYw— Gonen Ben Itzhak גונן בן יצחק (@GONENB1) September 4, 2025
The video of Alon Ohel and Guy Gilboa Dalal
A major trigger was the video released from Gaza the day before. It showed hostages Alon Ohel and Guy Gilboa Dalal. Dalal spoke directly to the public, urging them to “protest louder and shout stronger.” His words spread quickly online and became a central spark that drove thousands into Jerusalem’s streets. Beyond the plea itself, the video deepened fears that the lives of the hostages in Gaza are dwindling quickly
These emotions bound the families, the demonstrators and the city itself into one unified voice aimed at the government
Jerusalem shifting from Netanyahu stronghold to protest hub
This was not just another protest. It revealed a broader shift: Jerusalem, long tied to Netanyahu and his bloc, is gradually becoming a focal point of public anger. The fact that tens of thousands came from outside the city and turned its streets into a symbol of protest shows how its role is changing. Jerusalem is no longer only “Netanyahu’s city,” but also the city of the demonstrators
From here the path is short to a new framing: the capital is not just a symbol of power, but also a stage for confrontation over the fate of the hostages
