John 7:32

The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.

The Pharisees were the party mainly referred to as “the Jews.” They were particularly hostile to Jesus (John 7:1); and the Sadducees, who comprised the chief priests, had already become critical of Him (Mt 16:6). They here join forces to silence Jesus by bringing Him before the Sanhedrin because of the vocal defense of Jesus by the crowd.

Mt 16:6  “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”