Hostage families accuse government of ‘sacrificing the hostages’ as conflict escalates in north
Pro-government Tikvah Forum holds Jerusalem protest to increase military pressure on Hamas
Tens of thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday evening, showing support for the hostages in Gaza and voicing their frustration with what they see as government inaction.
As usual, the largest protest rally was held in Tel Aviv, where protest organizers claimed hundreds of thousands participated. However, no estimates were provided by the Israel Police or major Hebrew news outlets.
Family members of several of the hostages accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Cabinet of choosing “regional escalation and decided to sacrifice the hostages on the altar of keeping his seat.”
Hostage families have vowed to "bring the nation to a halt" to pressure the Israeli government to secure a hostage release deal, especially after reports of significant disagreements in senior leadership.
Eli Albag, the father of captured IDF spotter Liri Alban, who was abducted from the Nahal Oz military base, denounced the government’s sudden focus on the north instead of freeing the hostages.
“A year has passed, and now you remember to deal with the north? Where have you been for a year, while the north has burned?” he asked. “They’ve been battered by missiles every day.”
Addressing his daughter in Hamas captivity, Albag stated, regarding the upcoming Jewish holiday observance of the Day of Repentance: “On Yom Kippur, the entire nation will ask for your forgiveness.”
Former IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz also participated in protests in Caesarea, near the private home of Netanyahu, and was physically removed by police after refusing to clear the streets when asked.
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— We Are All Hostages (@AllHostages) September 21, 2024
Police carting off Dan Halutz, Lieutenant General (Reserves), who was protesting in Caesarea, blocking a road, demanding that Netanyahu sign the hostage deal and be removed from office.
credit Benny Meshy
Hostage negotiations have been stalled since the discovery of the bodies of six murdered hostages in late August. While many in the Hostages and Families Forum have publicly accused the prime minister of contributing to the deaths of the hostages, Netanyahu blamed Hamas for their deaths by rejecting the hostage release proposal.
During the Saturday evening protests, the Israel Police deployed large numbers of forces to maintain public order on Begin Street near the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv. Begin Street was closed for protesters in order to enable a balance between freedom of protest and freedom of movement, with minimal disruption to routine traffic following the end of the Sabbath.
Despite the approval and an organized area for the protest to take place, the demonstrators lit bonfires and tried to prevent the police from extinguishing them.
"Freedom of protest ends where criminal acts, violence of any kind, vandalism and disturbances of the peace begin. Freedom of protest and expression is not the freedom to start fires, block major roads, impair the freedom of movement of many, break through police barriers and attack police officers," the police said in a statement.
"The purpose of police activity is first and foremost to protect the protesters and their right to protest. At the same time, it is the duty of the police to act to maintain order in the public space, and to deal with those who endanger public safety.”
Not all Israelis agree with the protests organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, nor their accusations that the government has abandoned the hostages in Gaza.
On Thursday, the Tikvah Forum for Families of Hostages gathered in Jerusalem in a counter-protest, to demand the Israeli government take more decisive action against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a move they hope will achieve the release of more hostages in addition to defeating the terror group.
The demonstration took place on Kaplan Street in Jerusalem under the banner, “Demanding Resolution Now for the Release of All Hostages.” The gathering brought together supporters of the coalition government, including families of hostages, bereaved families from the Forum for Families of Fallen Heroes (the Gvura Forum), war veterans, and IDF reservists who support continued military action against Hamas.
Knesset Member Limor Son Har-Melech of the Jewish Power party, led by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, spoke to the attendees, affirming the government's goal to return the hostages to their homes.
“Our goal is clear: to bring back all our hostages,” Har-Melech said. “What we need to do today is one thing only: strike Hamas in every possible way until they are forced to release our loved ones.”
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
