Hundreds of Israelis took to the streets in Tel Aviv on Saturday, carrying anti-war banners and chanting slogans against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protest the ongoing war with Iran, with some alleging that the government was using the police to “silence” their voices.
Demonstrators gathered in a central square in Tel Aviv, holding signs that read: “Don’t bomb – talk! End the endless wars!” The protests went ahead despite restrictions on mass gatherings imposed during the conflict with Iran.
“Police are trying to silence our voices. We are here to demand an end to the war in Iran, the war in Lebanon, and the war in Gaza, which is still going on, as well as an end to the pogroms in the West Bank,” Alon-Lee Green, the co-director of Israeli-Palestinian grassroots group Standing Together, told news agency AFP.
“In Israel, there’s always a war. So, if we’re not allowed to demonstrate, we will never be allowed to speak,” he added.
According to the AFP report, several protesters were soon detained by police.
There is a lot of scepticism in Israel about the Netanyahu government’s justification for the war with Iran, with people viewing it as a tactic by the PM to stop the corruption trial against him.
“I’m very suspicious of the reasons. I think the main reason is that Bibi wants to stop his trial,” said Cecile, 62, who gave only her first name, referring to Netanyahu with his nickname.
Netanyahu is on trial in a long-running corruption case and has sought a presidential pardon, with US President Donald Trump repeatedly pressuring Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant one.
Benjamin Netanyahu defiant, vows to press ahead
Benjamin Netanyahu has remained defiant despite regular protests against him and the war. In a video statement released on Saturday evening, Netanyahu vowed to press ahead with the military campaign against Iran.
“I promised you that we would continue to strike the terror regime in Tehran, and that is exactly what we are doing,” Netanyahu said.
“Today, we attacked their petrochemicals hub,” he added, after announcing strikes on Iran’s steel-producing facilities the day before.
“These two things are their cash machine for funding the war of terror against us and against the entire world. We will continue to strike them,” he said.
According to protestors, the reasons for the war kept shifting.
“The reasons for the war keep moving and changing all the time. We don’t know what will be considered a success or a failure, and we don’t know how long it’s gonna take,” a protestor said.
Waves of Iranian attacks on Israel continue
Since midnight on Saturday, several waves of Iranian missiles have been launched towards Israel, including targets in Tel Aviv and other areas of central Israel. This has been a regular occurrence since the start of the war more than a month ago.
At least five people were injured after the missile fire, according to Israeli medics.
Later on Saturday evening, demonstrators began leaving the square following an alert warning of an incoming missile.
Minutes later, the military reported it had detected an incoming missile from Yemen.
Since February 28, the United States and Israel have conducted joint strikes on Iran, prompting the Islamic Republic to retaliate with daily missile barrages targeting Israel and several neighbouring countries across the region.
