Israeli protester: ‘This is the moment of truth’
Large crowds are starting to swell in Tel Aviv as thousands of demonstrators protest the government of Prime Minister Netanyahu and demand a deal to free the captives held in Gaza.
“Instead of securing a deal which will save the hostages and the country, Netanyahu is escalating the situation in the region and dragging Israel into a multi-frontal regional war, which will lead to more destruction,” said Efrat Machikawa, the niece of an Israeli captive held in Gaza.
“The public must come together over the next days and fight with all its might. We have no time to waste. This is the moment of truth.”
Many Israelis see ‘genocidal campaign as a necessity’ in Gaza
More mass anti-government protests are under way in Israel this evening. One analyst says the movement is increasingly seen as a threat by Prime Minister Netanyahu and other hardliners in his cabinet.
Political commentator Ori Goldberg noted the leader of the opposition, Yair Lapid, on Friday called for the end of the war on Gaza – the first time an Israeli politician over the past year has made such a statement publicly.
However, he noted, “the genocidal campaign in Gaza is still seen by many Israelis, who will be out on the streets protesting today, as a necessity. They can’t envision any ‘solution’ that will actually deal with ‘the Hamas problem'”.
Estimates say 500,000 demonstrators hit the streets of Tel Aviv
This is in fact the largest protest in a single place in Israel’s history. Organisers say 500,000 are on the streets of Tel Aviv and 250,000 others are spread around the country, including West Jerusalem, Haifa, and Rishon LeZion.
This is a week of consecutive protests after the Israeli army announced it recovered the bodies of six captives in Gaza. That didn’t bode well with the Israeli public.
Families of captives are saying this is Prime Minister Betanyahu Netanyahu’s fault, he has blood on his hands, and he’s the main impediment why there hasn’t been a ceasefire deal yet.
The size of the demonstration just goes to show the level of frustration of family members, the Israeli public, and the movement after 11 months of war.
Protesters lit tire fires around downtown Tel Aviv to demand action by the government of Benjamin Netanyahu
London protests: ‘Time for people to wake up, get out on the streets’
At least 25,000 pro-Palestinian supporters protested in London, with a handful of arrests of mostly counter-demonstrators occurring during the largely peaceful protest that began in Picadilly and ended in front of Israel’s embassy.
A survivor of the Holocaust denounced Israel’s leaders for their conduct during the bloody war on Gaza.
“They should stop immediately, obviously. It is an outrage in the 21st century for genocide to be going on in full sight of the world. I think the leadership of Israel is a criminal band,” said Stephen Kapos at the demonstration.
Protester Bernie McNamee said that after 11 months of doing little to stop the bloodshed, things appear to be changing now.
“We can see the tide is turning,” McNamee said. “We’re seeing companies withdrawing their support for apartheid regimes. We’re seeing it all the time. It’s time for people to wake up, get out on the streets, and let’s support the Palestinians. Seventeen-thousand children dead – we don’t even know how many are underneath the rubble.”
People demonstrate in support of Palestinians in Gaza in London on Saturday
