Last night, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets, rallying against the war policy of the Israeli government and demanding a deal with Hamas be concluded to “stop the war.” In the United States, such an event would be labeled “anti-Semitic,” but these protests took place in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The Times of Israel reported the protesters were furious over the latest government statement denying that Israel would commit to ending the war in order to free the hostages. Though the “senior official” behind the government statement was anonymous, most of Israeli media quickly attributed it to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Posters read “Stop the War.” Parts of the crowd tried to block a major traffic intersection, and others did block some of Jerusalem’s light rail. There were scuffles with police. At least three people were arrested, including a former aide to Knesset member Naama Lazimi. She herself attended the Tel Aviv protest, and then posted on X: “These sham arrests and violence in the mindset of [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir have to cease and be dealt with using all of our might. We will act against this madness with every tool available to us.” Opposition leader Yair Lapid told the rally that Netanyahu “should send a negotiating team to Cairo tonight and tell them to not come back without a deal.”
Tom Barkai, Hostages and Missing Families Forum organizer, told the Jerusalem rally: “We won’t be silent, and you will not silence us until they [the hostages] return. And this is the time to act, the moment to stop counting the days and bring them back now.”
