The right demands the release of a Jewish terrorist in response to the most violent demonstrations by the families of the kidnapped
In the wake of thousands of Israelis taking part in the most violent demonstrations witnessed in the streets of Tel Aviv, Caesarea and Jerusalem against the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, since October 17, the extreme right-wing settlement movements came out with a stunning provocative campaign demanding the release of a settler accused of planning terrorist operations against the Palestinians.
The campaign consisted of filling the streets with huge banners demanding “the immediate release of Ariel Danino.” Danino is an extremist settler who lives in the “Yitzhar” settlement, located on the lands of Nablus and its villages. The Israeli army commander in the region issued an administrative detention order for him for a period of four months, on suspicion that he was planning to carry out terrorist operations against the Palestinians. According to that order, Danino tried to arrange such terrorist operations even while he was in detention.
The authors of the far-right campaign used a formula and format similar to the advertisements published by the families of kidnapped Israelis by Hamas. What aroused the ire and anger of these families, who issued a statement denouncing this behavior and considering it “a cheap use of the families’ wounds that indicates a disregard for the prisoners and the pain of their families in a humiliating and shameful manner.”
The weekly protest activities against the Israeli government policy witnessed a new development on the night of Saturday and Sunday. It seemed more intense and violent; The demonstrators closed a number of central streets in Tel Aviv, blocking the road in front of Netanyahu’s convoy as he left his home in the city of Caesarea, and obstructing its path for several minutes, until the police dispersed the demonstrators by force. The police arrested 8 demonstrators and recorded dozens of fines worth 1,000 shekels ($300) for each demonstrator who obstructed traffic.
One of the new things is that representatives of 8 families of the hostages descended on Elon Road and closed it. The slogans were overshadowed by explicit accusations against Netanyahu that not only was he not doing anything to free the hostages, but he was “fully consciously obstructing” the deal, and taking a position opposing the position of his comrades in the war cabinet and the leadership of the army and security services.
The demonstrations increased criticism of Ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot for remaining in the government.
The leadership committee of these demonstrations said in a statement, “There is a need for a deal now, and to go to elections.” About half a year has passed since the catastrophic failure in the history of Israel. Whoever abandoned the kidnapped must return them all to their homes.
The radical wing of the protest campaign against the ruling system and the judiciary decided, this week, to enter into a direct clash with the government “until our voice shakes every home,” and closed 3 central streets in Tel Aviv: Begin, Aylon, and Kaplan.
He was able to recruit 5,000 people in a demonstration that began in Habima Square and proceeded through Kaplan, joining the festival of the families of the kidnapped. There, about two hundred people from the families joined it, and they initially closed the entrance to the Ministry of Security and War Command from the western side (Begin Gate, which constitutes a main entrance to The Ministry, from the direction of Begin Street), then they went down to Elon Street, closed it in both directions, and lit fires in several locations.
The Israeli police used a water pumping vehicle to disperse the demonstrators and reopen the Ayalon lanes to traffic, after major traffic congestion. The police called in additional forces to assist about 2,000 police officers “who were brought in to enforce the rule of law,” as she put it.
In the demonstration of the families of the kidnapped, German Ambassador Stephan Seibert participated, and in his speech in Hebrew, he accused “Hamas” of sabotaging the negotiations, and called on the countries of the world to put pressure on it, as did the French Ambassador, Frederic Gorantz, who said that on October 7, his country lost 43 citizens carrying French nationality, and considered the Hamas attack the most horrific massacre of the twenty-first century.
Einav Mozes, the daughter-in-law of the kidnapped elderly Geddy Mozes, said that the Netanyahu government is responsible for the most serious political failure in the history of Israel, and it continues to fail and does not return the kidnapped people.
She called on Netanyahu to grant the negotiating delegation, which is supposed to travel to Qatar on Monday, sufficient powers to sign a deal. She said: “The people of Israel will not forgive Netanyahu for his procrastination, as he searches for a victory without returning the kidnapped.”
In Caesarea, a demonstration was organized near Netanyahu’s house coinciding with the passing of his motorcade, closing the city’s central Rothschild Street. Meanwhile, demonstrators closed the Karkur Junction on Street 65 to traffic. The number of demonstrators reached more than two thousand. The demonstrators obstructed the movement of Netanyahu’s convoy with their bodies for several minutes, making him feel trapped, and they were chanting against him: “You are guilty,” “Take responsibility for the failure and resign,” and “Elections now.” They opened the road only when the police declared it an illegal demonstration.
The former Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council, Eran Etzion, addressed the demonstrators, who focused on the two ministers in the war government, Gantz and Eisenkot, and called on them to carry out their historical duty and withdraw from the government. He said: “You must meet Netanyahu and inform him: If you do not seek to make the prisoner exchange deal a success, and announce the postponement of the elections to next June, then you will not remain in the government, but will join the demonstrators in the streets.”
In Haifa, 2,500 people participated in a march from Carmel to the city’s Horev Center, where a festival was held demanding a prisoner exchange deal and Netanyahu’s resignation. General (res.) Yair Golan said: “This morning I met a father who lost his son on the northern border at the beginning of the war. He asked me one simple thing: that his sacrifice not be in vain, and for this to happen, we must overthrow the government of destruction that rules us today. A government whose great talent is evident in evading responsibility, miserable leadership, indifference to the lives of the kidnapped, fear of making the right decisions, and leadership in an amateur manner; Corruption, cynicism, and turning every area of our lives into dependency and slavery to maintain Netanyahu’s rule. There is no longer national security, no national interests, no public good, and no public money. We shout at the demonstrations: (Shame), but dear friends and comrades. The shame has been lost, and all we have left is a determined, difficult and bitter struggle. In the end, without a doubt, we will prevail.”
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