Protesters gathered in Tel Aviv and across Israel Saturday evening, November 16, against the far-right government and to repeat their call for a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, highlighting the plight of younger captives to mark International Children’s Day this week. In addition, Partnership for Peace activists, among them Hadash members, gathered against the war in Gaza and Lebanon in Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Beersheva.
A siren was heard in the middle of the anti-war protest in Haifa. Protesters taking refuge in the Carmelit underground train station. Loud booms were heard at the end of the Hizballah attack, Saturday evening, November 16, 2024 (Photo: Anat Halpern)
On Begin Road, in front of the Israeli army headquarters, thousands of protesters call for an end to the war with Hamas as part of a hostage deal. They set off smoke stacks and beat on drums, chanting: “They [the hostages] are running out of time — a deal is on the table!” Before the rally, the families made a statement against the far-right government. “Netanyahu refuses to end the war,” Einav Zangauker said. “We must do everything to end the war and bring back the hostages. They won’t survive until the Trump inauguration in January.”
“Netanyahu gave up on the hostages long ago, and now he is sacrificing them and the soldiers while his extremist partners are working to establish settlements in Gaza,” said Zangauker, whose son Matan has been held in Gaza for over 400 days. Toward the end of the statement, a man wearing a shirt reading “Lions of the Right” played music from a loudspeaker and got in a shoving match with Natalie Zangauker, sister of hostage Matan Zangauker. The man wasn’t apprehended.
Rallies were also held across the country in Rehovot, Haifa, Ra’anana, Jerusalem, Kfar Sava, Shaar HaNegev, Nahalal, Eilat, Kiryat Gat, Zichron Yaacov, Haogen, Karkur and elsewhere, against Netanyahu and demanding a deal. Three protesters have been arrested in connection with firing two flares at the Caesarea home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night, the Israel Police and Shin Bet announced Sunday morning. The three are known activists in the protest against the prime minister, including a lieutenant colonel in the reserves who is considered one of the leaders of the protest in Caesarea. A gag order was placed on the identities of the suspects. An attorney working with the protest movement claims that the suspects have been denied a meeting with a lawyer.
The incident took place precisely after this week the group Moked Caesarea, which led the demonstrations in front of the Prime Minister’s private home for five years, announced the end of the demonstrations there and the transfer of the protest to Jerusalem. The decision was made, according to the group, because “the time has come to step up,” after they demonstrated in front of the house in Caesarea three times a week – protests that were often accompanied by arguments and even confrontations with the police, which led to several arrests and severe violence by cops.
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=32232
