Thousands of Israelis take to Tel Aviv streets against Netanyahu

Thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv, Israel, to protest against the Iran war and the Netanyahu government. The massive demonstration, which took place on Saturday (April 11), exceeded the court-set limit of 1,000 people. However, unlike in the past, police did not stop the demonstrators.
The Times of Israel reported that the demonstrations, which are being held for the sixth consecutive week, were organized by various left-wing groups and other protest organizations to oppose the Iran war, corruption charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, judicial reform initiatives and a proposal to exempt ultra-conservative religious students from military service.
One of the organizers of the protest, Alan Lee Green, claimed that about 10,000 people gathered in Tel Aviv’s Habima Square. However, Haaretz and Ynet reported that the number of participants was about 2,000, double the court-set limit. Protesters chanted in Arabic for “peace, freedom, social justice.”
The country’s courts have set limits on the number of participants in any demonstration in the wake of a series of missile attacks by Iran on Israel over the past six weeks. Although a small increase in the number of participants was allowed after a temporary ceasefire took effect last week, the limit remains in place as a precaution.
Haaretz reported that dozens of activists led by right-wing leader Mordechai David tried to enter the protest site when organizers blocked them. Border police later removed him, although he was able to enter through another route. He and another right-wing activist were later detained but released after about an hour.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people also took part in an anti-government protest in Jerusalem’s Paris Square. Three people were detained for breaking through police barricades there but were later released after being fined. Hundreds also took part in the protest in Haifa, although the court had set a limit of 150 people. Smaller demonstrations have also taken place across the country.
At a rally in Tel Aviv, Alan Lee Green complained that “the government is declaring a permanent state of emergency, which is keeping us in shelters and allowing them to pass ‘coup laws.’” Ayman Odeh, a leading lawmaker for the Arab-majority Hadash party, criticized the opposition parties for failing to present a moral alternative to the government. “We need a Jewish-Arab partnership for peace, not war,” he said. “Our problem is a weak opposition that cannot present a moral alternative to the government. The only moral alternative to this government is peace.”