Why Israel’s having some of its biggest protests since the war in Gaza began: A young man from Jerusalem protesting against Netanyahu’s return to war

A majority of Israelis do not want the ceasefire to end, according to polls. Many feel this return to war is a betrayal and that Netanyahu and his government are forsaking the remaining hostages, leaving them to die in Gaza. The Israelis are protesting what they believe is a threat to the country’s democracy as Netanyahu renews his push for changing the judicial system.

Shira Efron, research director of the nonpartisan Israel Policy Forum, says the Israeli government’s return to war dovetails with Netanyahu’s need to appease his far-right political partners to maintain his coalition.

The public of Israel is exhausted. She says it’s in trauma. The Israeli government insists that they return to war, despite the politics of it.

On Sunday, a young man from Jerusalem wearing a sticker on his shirt with the number 533 being the number of days since hostages have been held in Gaza, marched to the prime minister’s residence. He said he showed up to remind the government that there are hostages in Gaza, and that it has a responsibility toward them.

Source: Why Israel’s having some of its biggest protests since the war in Gaza began

Why Israel’s having some of its biggest protests since the war in Gaza began: “We’re going to make the most out of Gaza”

“We do not accept this reality,” he said. The theft of our country and our security is something that we do not accept. We came to say it loud and clear.

Ami Dror, an Israeli businessman and activist, led many of the protests against judicial reform back in 2023, before the war in Gaza started. He understands that the government’s decisions are not influenced by the protests, but still, it is important to show up.

The power who is in power can say what they want. But we have tools,” the 52-year-old said at a protest Sunday in Jerusalem. “We have marches, protests, and also civil disobedience — when we decide to shut the state down — and that’s exactly what needs to happen.”

Einav Tsangauker spoke at a demonstration Saturday night in Tel Aviv, saying that Netanyahu chose to strengthen his political future by “saking” the remaining hostages and restarting the conflict.

“This is a real alarm,” she said, encouraging protesters to keep showing up every day until a new deal is signed. You’re the one who can get the hostages out of Gaza.

Source: Why Israel’s having some of its biggest protests since the war in Gaza began

Israeli woman’s release from a prisoner’s exile: “Hamas propaganda” and “violation of the judicial system”

The government denies that there is any genocide. And Netanyahu has said those claiming that the offensive in Gaza is for political gain “have no shame” and accused them of echoing “Hamas propaganda.”

“Amid the returning to fighting in Gaza, the Minister of Justice is taking advantage of the public’s attention being off the ball to hastily revise Israel’s judicial system,” wrote Guy Lurie of the Israel Democracy Institute.

Protesters say they’re especially concerned about several recent moves: the government’s efforts to fire the attorney general and domestic security chief, who both serve as watchdogs on the prime minister’s policies, and legislation expected to pass Thursday that would grant the ruling coalition more partisan influence over judicial appointments.

Netanyahu said Saturday that there wouldn’t be a civil war and that the State of Israel would remain a democratic country.

She was held captive for over 50 days and was moved many times between locations, mostly aboveground. She told her abductors she had a chronic disease and didn’t get any medication. She said she was held in several places before her release, including a hospital and private residences.

Ms. Gritzewsky was released on Nov. 30, 2023, during a weeklong cease-fire when many of the other women and children were freed in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. She had a broken hip on her return. Avigail Poleg-Dvir, Ms. Gritzewsky’s therapist since her release, said Ms. Gritzewsky had shared with her the main details of her abduction and captivity: the violence when she was taken, the motorcycle ride, the assault, waking up half-naked on the ground and the intimidation she faced in captivity. The details were given to Israeli police investigators by Ms. Gritzewsky. Hamas did not respond to a request for comment.

She understood that Mr. Zangauker had also been kidnapped to Gaza — when she described his long hair to one of her captors, the captor appeared to confirm that he was a hostage, referring to him as being from Ofakim, the Zangaukers’ hometown — but she never saw him in captivity.

The United Nations report stated that there were signs that the participants in the October 7 attack on Israel committed sexual violence. During its campaign in Gaza, the U.N. commission accused Israel of a range of sexual and gender-based violence.

Adra, who was on the scene, as well as being a director of the documentary, said the Israeli soldiers and police officers on the scene did not do enough to stop the masked Israeli attackers. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the claim.

In a ruling last year, the court expressed concern over the fact that Israel had failed to protect them, and that the government should do more to protect Palestinians in the future.

Part of the assault was seen in the witness videos reviewed by The New York Times. In cellphone and dashcam footage, a masked man approaches three activists who had responded to calls from Palestinians for help, pushes them and tries to punch one of them. The three activists retreat to their car as several other masked men run toward it and smash the windshield with a rock.

The group of Israeli assailants, some masked, soon joined the others on the outskirts of the village, where they attacked two Palestinian homes, they said.

The conflict began after the town’s residents tried to drive away the Israeli shepherds who were herding livestock on land claimed by the village, according to the Palestinians and a fieldworker for the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.

Mr Ballal said he had been protecting his home during the attack, worried that settlers would try to barge in. Mr Ballal had a man hit on his head and two Israelis leveled their guns at him.

The Biden administration imposed sanctions on individuals accused of carrying out violent acts against Palestinians, but President Trump has taken a softer stance. On Tuesday, a confirmation hearing for Mike Huckabee, Mr. Trump’s pick for ambassador to Israel and an outspoken supporter of settlement building, was underway.

Human rights groups have long said that Israeli officials rarely crack down on the perpetrators. A lot of police investigations into attacks on Palestinians by Israelis are closed without charges.

A minor Israeli settlers was also taken into custody. The Israeli police said he had been released to receive medical treatment and would be questioned later.

The director of an Oscar-winningdocumentary was released by the Israelis on Tuesday night after he and witnesses said they had been attacked by Israeli settlers.