A leading Communist Party of Israel activists has denounced far-right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on keeping troops in occupied Gaza border strip with Egypt, calling the move “a scam” and saying the government is using the issue to sacrifice Israeli and Palestinian civilians for political reasons.
“Philadelphi is a scam. It’s fake. Netanyahu never mentioned it before,” Hadash MK Ofer Cassif told The National, using the Israeli army’s name for the Salah A-Din corridor. “It’s lies upon lies – all for political survival.”
Hadash and Communist Party of Israel activists gathering against the war in Gaza at Begin Road in Tel-Aviv in front of the Israeli army headquarters, Thursday, Sep 5, 2024 (Photo: Zo Haderech)
Cassif has been one of the most vocal Israeli critics of the war in Gaza and Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. He almost lost his parliamentary seat as a result, surviving a February vote against him after he signed a petition supporting South Africa’s genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
“I said it months ago – had the government loved the Israelis more than they hated the Palestinians, the hostages would have been home ages ago,” he said. “Unfortunately, that is not the case. The government doesn’t care about the well-being or life of anyone. Netanyahu, time and time again, has foiled any possibility of a deal to release the hostages on purpose.”
Crowds descended once again on Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Rehovot, Haifa, Eilat and other cities on Thursday, Sep 5, carrying mock coffins to represent the six hostages found dead in a Rafah tunnel on Saturday. Three of them were reportedly on a list of hostages to be released in a July ceasefire deal. “If Netanyahu continues as planned, more hostages will be killed,” Gil Dickman, whose cousin Carmel Gat was killed in Gaza, told crowds in Tel Aviv. Roni Adar, whose cousin’s body is being held in the enclave, said: “Bibi [Netanyahu] – there’s only one way to save the hostages, and that’s to sign a deal.”
The Tel Aviv anti-government protest centered on calls for a hostage deal ends after clashes with police and six people were detained. As the protest wound down, cops on horseback rebuffed some hundreds of protesters who attempted to march outside the demonstration area on Begin Road to block Ayalon Highway. A column of officers later marched into the crowd and confiscated a protester’s drum, eliciting sarcastic applause.
The crowd chants against racist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who is largely seen as a driving force behind police violence as well as a prominent proponent of a deal releasing hostages and stopping fighting in Gaza. “Ben Gvir is a terrorist,” “We are all hostages of the government of blood!” protesters yell. “A deal that isn’t signed murders everyone!” protesters shout.
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32099
