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Twelve anti-Netanyahu protesters arrested at thousands-strong rally outside PM’s residence
Nir Hasson, Josh Breiner, Bar Peleg, Noa Shpigel, Hagar Shezaf | Aug. 2, 2020 | 8:15 AM | Haaretz.com
▻https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-thousands-of-anti-netanyahu-protesters-to-rally-in-jerusalem-junct

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Police arrested 12 people as thousands gathered Saturday evening outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence in Jerusalem, his private home in Caesarea and junctions throughout the country in the latest wave of protests calling for his resignation.

Some 10,000 people protested near the prime minister’s official residence in Jerusalem and began marching toward the city center.

The protest and march were approved by the Israel Police, saying they will not tolerate any disturbances of the public order. Last week, five protesters were injured after being attacked by far-right counter demonstrators.

The police have also been accused of using excessive force against peaceful protesters, deploying riot control units in large numbers, as well as undercover officers, mounted units and water cannons.

The protest went on until after midnight, with several clashes erupting at around 1:30 A.M. after police forcibly removed protesters who remained in the area. A group of anti-government protesters refused to clear the area, chanting “An entire generation demands a future,” while sitting on the ground.

Hundreds also gathered outside Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea, under heavy police presence. One protester, a resident of the luxurious suburban town, called on Netanyahu to “Stay in Caesarea, we’d love to have you here. But you must vacate the official residence in Balfour.”

Former Knesset member for the Zionist Union Yael Cohen Paran was present at the protest in Caesarea. “This week we have seen incitement, incitement against organizers of the Crime Minister movement ... This, of all things, has brought everyone out of their houses, out of their indifference.” Paran added, “The people sitting in the Knesset don’t care. I was there. This is a disconnected government, they care only about themselves and need to go home. Our camp needs to renew itself, elections are coming soon.”

Across the country, thousands of activists representing the anti-corruption “Black Flag” movement congregated on some 260 of the country’s largest bridges and junctions for the sixth consecutive Saturday. Large police forces were deployed at all protest sites. Four men were detained near the southern towns of Ashkelon and Sderot for harassing and spitting on demonstrators. One was detained after throwing a stone at protesters in Haifa. Protesters in Tel Aviv said they were pepper sprayed by two people on a motorcycle.

Police have opened an investigation into reports of a car attempting to ram into protesters at a junction in Rehovot. According to two eyewitnesses, two women with a child in the back seat drove up on the sidewalk, turned around and attempted to ram into people again. “She cursed us, calling us loser leftists and threw bottles at as. She had a look of hatred in her eyes,” Ehud Geiger, who was protesting at the intersection said. “She can’t say she just drifted out of her lane, she had two tires up on the sidewalk."

Dana Miles, an activist for the the left-wing NGO Peace Now, said that Israelis must stand up against incitement. “This government-endorsed incitement terrifies me as someone who grew up here and knows exactly what it could lead to. It is our responsibility to stop a leadership that defends violence on the streets.”

Gali Shorer from Kibbutz Shefayim told Haaretz that this is her first time attending an anti-Netanyahu protest. “Suddenly it hit me in the gut: Where are we going? What kind of reality are my kids growing up to? I don’t know where this will lead, but I’m hoping that something different can happen here.”

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters gathered at Charles Clore Park in Tel Aviv to protest the government’s failure to manage the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis. Despite the police having only permitted a protest at the park, several dozens began marching through the city.

Yafa Ben Porat, 83, said this was her first time protesting "because all week I’ve been hurting over what the Knesset and lawmakers were doing. They’re liars, they’re frauds, Bibi [Netanyahu] has an empire in Caesarea, everyone needs to get up and join the protest ... We should be getting the money, not the parasites.”

Ronit, who lives in central Israel, brought her daughter and other relatives with her to the protest. She said: “I’ve brought the next generation with me to make sure that our rights are preserved also for the next generation. They should have a government that serves them and not the other way around.”

Dozens of people associated with Sheffi Paz, a far-right, anti-asylum seekers activist, arrived at the private residence of Supreme Court President Esther Hayut. They protested the High Court’s refusal to forbid the protests surrounding Netanyahu’s official residence following a petition by some the area’s residents.

Sheffi Paz was later arrested for allegedly spray-painting graffiti on near Hayut’s house.

Police Jerusalem District commander Doron Yedid left the protest after it became known that Jerusalem Affairs Minister Rafi Peretz tested positive for the coronaviorus. The two had met last week.

The Jerusalem protests have been taking place regularly for over a month near the prime minister’s residence, which has become the epicenter of the protest movement.

On Thursday, 14 members of the so-called La Familia, an extremist organization of fans of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team, were arrested at an anti-Netanyahu protest on suspicion of attacking demonstrators. The detainees were released on Friday morning.

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““"
nir hasson
@nirhasson
מאות על קינג ג’ורג’. "צדק לסלומון, צדק לאיאד". בכיכר עדיין אלפים רבים.
▻https://twitter.com/nirhasson/status/1289656967993028608
(Des centaines sur le roi George. « Justice pour Salomon, justice pour Iyad ». Il y en a encore plusieurs milliers sur la place.)

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Guy Ben-Aharon
@gbenaharon
"Iyad is everyone’s child" #BibiGoHome #jerusalem #ביביתתפטר #protest #justiceforiyad
▻https://twitter.com/gbenaharon/status/1289616880378888192
"Iyad est l’enfant de tous" #BibiGoHome#jerusalem#ביביתתפטר#protest#justiceforiyad
“““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““""
Ayman Odeh
@AyOdeh
לקחתי הפסקה של שעה מחגיגות חג הקורבן כדי להפגין בבלפור. להעיף את נתניהו ואת הדרך הגזענית ומושחתת שהוא מייצג זה הצעד הראשון בתיקון העמוק שנדרש פה.
▻https://twitter.com/AyOdeh/status/1289622786814513152
(J’ai pris une heure sur les célébrations de la Fête de l’Aïd pour manifester à Balfour. Renverser Netanyahu et la voie raciste et corrompue qu’il représente est la première étape du profond changement requis ici.)

#Israelmanifs

Several arrested for attacking demonstrators at anti-Netanyahu protests across Israel
Josh Breiner, Noa Shpigel, Bar Peleg, Nir Hasson, Almog Ben Zikri | Jul. 26, 2020 | 8:26 AM
▻https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-thousands-expected-in-anti-government-protests-across-israel-1.902

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Israel Police said on Sunday morning that they had arrested at least three people for assaulting anti-government protesters as thousands demonstrated in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official residence, calling for his resignation over his corruption charges and what they call a faulty handling of the coronavirus crisis.

On Saturday, over five thousand protesters massed in front of Netanyahu’s official residence on Balfour Street, which has become the epicenter of the protest movement. They were forcefully dispersed by police in the early hours of Sunday, using water cannons and mounted units.

Police said that a Netanyahu supporter was detained for spraying mace at a protester in central Israel. The 34-year-old man from the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan remained in custody overnight and police said they will be asking to extend his detention on Sunday.

During the police interrogation, the man confessed and regretted the act, although he said he actually used window cleaning liquid rather than pepper spray. His motivation was anger about the damage to the country’s symbols, he said, adding that he had been influenced by the incitement that exists on social networks

Another counter-protester was arrested on suspicion of stabbing an anti-government demonstrator in the neck at the Sha’ar HaNegev junction in southern Israel. The police said they would ask that he remain in custody, adding that they are working to bring to justice those who were also involved in the incident.

A third person was also arrested in Jerusalem, and five others detained on suspicion of attacking a demonstrator on Lincoln Street, near the prime minister’s official residence. According to eyewitnesses, the attack was carried out by five men with a helmet and a glass bottle.

In addition, police said that 12 anti-Netanyahu protesters had been arrested overnight for “various offences related to disturbing the peace.” Protests were also held in Caesarea in front of Netanyahu’s private home, and at some 250 intersections throughout the country. One man was also detained for tearing up protesters’ signs in Caesarea.

A group of some 20 right-wing activists participated in a counter-protest nearby, raising concerns of further clashes between anti- and pro-Netanyahu groups. On Thursday, a counter-protest by Netanyahu supporters drew some 200 Likud activists nearby, joined by a few dozen members of La Familia, an extremist organization of fans of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team. Six ant-Netanyahu demonstrators said they were violently assaulted by members of La Familia.

According to eyewitnesses, a demonstrator wearing a pink bandana was attacked by five men dressed in black on Lincoln Street, Jerusalem. The witnesses reported that the five beat him with a helmet and smashed a glass bottle on his body. An eyewitness at the scene called the police.

Meanwhile, two other anti-Netanyahu protesters testified that they were attacked by three right-wing activists after they left the demonstration. According to one of them, “Three young men asked my friend: ’Are you [with] Bibi or against Bibi?’ He didn’t answer, and then one of them started beating him. Then he came in front of me and punched me in the face and threw my glasses down the road.”

’It’s important for him to be there’

The protesters that were attacked in junctions in central and southern Israel both recount being there with children, and being attacked without provocation.

at the Sha’ar HaNegev junction in Nir Am, in southern Israel said they were attacked by at least ten people

Nir Sa’ar, the man who was stabbed in the neck, said he was participating in a peaceful demonstration with several friends and their families, including children, when five vehicles arrived. Sa’ar said that about 15 men disembarked and began to encircle them.

They arrived “to make chaos, they came down and started to tear posters,” and beat and spit at protesters, says fellow protester Ishai Loz. “They took out some sort of sharp object. We tried to just get the kids out of there. My friend was stabbed in the neck. I took a blow to my chest, a little cut, and I’m getting an X-ray now.” According to Loz, the same group threw punches as well.

K. was protesting with his son and a few friends at the Aluf Sadeh interchange in central Israel. “My son asked to stay and stand close to the road with his friends and their parents,” he told Haaretz. “All of a sudden, a car passed and sprayed gas towards him and his group of kids,” he said.

“[The car] slowed down, opened the window, sprayed, and hurried away. There were police, but they didn’t manage to catch the car... The brave kid, he understands what happened there. This is his second protest there, it’s important to him to go,” he added.

Netanyahu blasts ’anarchist’ and ’Bolshevik’ media

In a Facebook post, Netanyahu accused Channel 12 News of inflating the number of attendees of the protests against him in its reporting, calling it a “Shameless propaganda arm of the anarchist left to bring down the right-wing government and its leader.”

He went on to write that the channel is pouring fire on the flames of the “Political protests that are organized and funded by leftist groups. [It’s] fake news on steroids.” He continued, “Almost all their programs, segments and analyses are used for unbridled Bolshevik propaganda against the prime minister.”

“And of course, they don’t even say one word on the blatant threats to murder the prime minister and his family,” the prime minister added.

Public Security Minister Amir Ohana said Saturday night that the protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must be limited. “We need to restrict the number of people, the location, maybe in a more open space,” Ohana told Channel 12’s Meet the Press program.

“The Health Ministry said that this is a coronavirus incubator. If all the experts are saying that this hurts our efforts against the coronavirus, then we must limit it,” he said.

His remarks come after it was reported that Ohana asked the police to examine the possibility of requiring protests held outside Netanyahu’s official residence to move to another venue, arguing that these events are harming the neighbors.

Police representatives cited a Supreme Court ruling and told Ohana it wasn’t possible to prevent a protest from taking place or to require a license for it.

Protests gain pace

This marks the fifth week of the “black flag” protests, which call for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step down in light of his criminal indictments for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. This particular wave of demonstrations began after the arrest of protest leader Amir Haskel.

The protests were organized by multiple movements calling for economic relief and Netanyahu’s resignation: the Black Flags, Crime Minister, Culture Shock, Wake Up Israel and a number of new groups. These include the Women’s March, which was established over the past few years in Tel Aviv, and a number of LGBTQ activists, including the gay party line Cock Shock.

Another central protest site is Tel Aviv’s Charles Clore Park, where a number of organizations are protesting the economic crisis. The protest is being held under the banner “Shaking them from their chairs,” and the organizers explained that they do not intend to take aim at the prime minister alone, and that they want the demonstration to remain apolitical.

“The protest is socio-economic, where there will be shouts and roars to fix the conduct toward Israeli citizens. They will come to sound the cries of the nation,” the organizers said.

Ahead of Saturday night’s protest, the organizers posted a call to police to behave with restraint. “We hope that contrary to previous demonstrations, in which the police did not allow protesters to disperse and exacted useless and unruly violence against them, which injured dozens of people, tonight the police will conduct itself responsibly.”

The statement sought to remind the Israel Police that “it is your duty to defend your citizens, not to fill arrest quotas… We will on our part continue to fulfill our role: To throng the streets with beautiful, hopeful citizens who are unwilling to remain silent any longer.”

Violence and arrests

On Friday, a one thousand-strong demonstration took place in front of the Prime Minister’s Residence. Over the weekend, another group of protesters set up camp at the city’s Independence Park, which is located near Balfour Street. The group, which goes by the name FestiBalfour sought to establish a permanent camp that would support the protest and act as its cultural hub.

Police sought to evacuate members of the group from the park following Thursday’s demonstration, but they later returned and remained there over the weekend.

Some 4,000 people protested in Jerusalem on Thursday, calling on Netanyahu to resign over his corruption charges, handling of the coronavirus crisis and allegedly anti-democratic measures.

This is the eighth protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Residence in two weeks. As of Saturday evening, 160 protesters were arrested during demonstrations, 55 of them on Thursday night. Thirty-five of them were released on the condition that they keep their distance from Jerusalem’s Paris Square and the residence, and 19 more were brought before a judge to be released with similar restraining orders.

Two were released unconditionally, one of whom after he showed the judge a video of his arrest in which he did not resist, countering the police’s claims. Another protester was sentenced to house arrest until Sunday, on suspicion of attacking an officer.

Fortifying Caesarea

Also Thursday, Caesarea residents reported that security protocols around Netanyahu’s private house had changed: A fence was erected behind the homes on the street, and temporary barriers were put up that would allow security forces to close off the street.

An activist who claimed he was walking on the house’s street was stopped by police Saturday afternoon. Police said he had entered “a sterile area” and that they had requested he leave a number of times, and only stopped him when he refused to do so.

The activist, Gil Solomon of Caesarea, told Haaretz that he is still “trying to understand why they stopped me.” He added, “In the beginning, the security guard told me that these are the instructions of the government. After I began to question it a little bit, a police officer told me that it was the Shin Bet’s instructions.”

He continued, “At the police station, when they questioned me, they told me that I was stopped on suspicion of bothering the police officer while he was fulfilling his duties. The officer wasn’t there when the argument happened. [The security guards] called for him. How did I get in the way of him carrying out his duty? He was literally carrying out his duty.”

The Black Flags protest movement said: "This evening is a sharp and clear message to the convict Netanyahu that his time is up. This week, we received proof as to what the Netanyahu regime is: weakening the Knesset and democracy, suppressing the protest, incitement against broad segments of the nation, dealing with criminal matters and an endless campaign of lies.

“The complete failure to deal with the coronavirus is on the convict alone. The citizens of the country deserve a prime minister who deals from morning until night with stopping the pandemic and rehabilitating the economy – not a convict who only looks out for himself.”

#Israelmanif

’We are at a crossroads’: Thousands protest West Bank annexation in Tel Aviv
’It’s up to all of us to stand up to authoritarian leaders’, Bernie Sanders told the crowd of protesters via video conference ■ Haaretz photographer tackled by police
Lee Yaron, Josh Breiner | Jun. 6, 2020 | 10:23 PM
▻https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-after-backlash-israeli-police-to-allow-anti-annexation-rally-1.890

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A joint Jewish-Arab rally against Israeli plans to annex West Bank settlements took place Saturday in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square with thousands of participants.

The protest was originally forbidden by the police due to fears over the coronavirus, but police relented and issued a permit on Friday night. Organizers have appointed some 50 supervisors who will ensure that coronavirus regulations are maintained.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders addressed the rally via video conference, expressing his support for the protesters and condemnation of Israel’s annexation plans. The senator said that he was “heartened” to see Arabs and Jews demonstrating together.

“In these difficult days … it has never been more important to stand up for justice, and to fight for the future we all deserve,” Sanders said. “It’s up to all of us to stand up to authoritarian leaders and to build a peaceful future for every Palestinian and every Israeli ... In the words of my friend Ayman Odeh: The only future is a shared future."

A number of Israeli politicians also spoke at the the protest.

Head of the Joint List alliance of Arab-majority parties, Ayman Odeh, told the crowd, “we are at a crossroads. One path leads to a joint society with a real democracy, civil and national equality for Arab citizens ... The second path leads to hatred, violence, annexation and apartheid,” Odeh said. "We’re here in Rabin Square to pick the first path,” he said.

“There is no such thing as democracy for Jews alone,” Odeh added. “Just like Martin Luther King and his supporters in the United States, we must realize that without justice there can be no peace. And there will be no social justice if we do not end the occupation,” Odeh said.

Meretz Chairman Nitzan Horowitz told protesters, “annexation is a war crime. A crime against peace, a crime against democracy, a crime that will cost us in blood.” The left-wing party leader also criticized Defense Minister Benny Gantz and members of the center-left who joined the Netanyahu-led government: “You are full partners, you are backing and authorizing this tragedy.”

Among the other speakers at the rally were Muhammad Baraka, chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee in Israel, MK Merav Michaeli, MK Tamar Zandberg, and MK Ofer Cassif.

Director of Breaking the Silence, Avner Gvaryahu, referred to the U.S. administration’s Middle East peace plan, saying that “Trump isn’t sending his kids to guard the outposts … The children of American annexation supporters cannot be killed or kill out in the territories, but our kids can.”

Tegan, a 17-year-old who came from Taibeh to protest, said that this is not her first demonstration and that Arab youth are starting to arrive more often to protest in Tel Aviv.

“I’m protesting because enough with all this bloodshed. We need to make peace between Jews and Arabs now,” she said. "Enough racism, enough murder, we’re just over it. Bibi and Trump are racists and I’m a little, a lot, afraid of what will happen if there’s annexation. Last week I was at the women’s march and we want to tell the politicians that enough is enough.”

Meanwhile, Simcha, a 50-year-old protester from Kfar Yona said, “we voted for Gantz because we thought that it would be an alternative and they betrayed us. Labor too.” Simcha added, “We’re tired of ingratiating ourselves to the center and hoping that they’ll bring change. We can only oppose the occupation and advocate for democracy in a Jewish-Arab partnership. Next time, I’m voting for the Joint List.”

Dozens of police officers and guards monitored the demonstration. The police spokesperson said they have called on participants to uphold order, particularly in relation to the Health Ministry guidelines regarding the coronavirus by keeping a two-meter distance between one another and wearing masks.

After the official event ended, a number of protesters stayed and blocked traffic surrounding the square. Police issued a statement saying, “with the conclusion of the protest in Rabin Square this evening, a handful of protesters stayed at the site and disturbed the public order by blocking traffic. Police call upon the protesters to restore order and obey officers’ instructions.”

Protesters lay down on the pavement surrounding Rabin Square, echoing protests taking place around the world against police brutality which were sparked by the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis. They shouted slogans including “Enough occupation,” “Police, who are you protecting?” “The occupation is terror and nothing will change that,” and “Eyad, Eyad and again Eyad,” in reference to the 32-year-old autistic Palestinian man who was shot dead by police in Jerusalem’s Old City last Saturday.

Five protesters were arrested. Video showed police violently throwing a Haaretz photographer to the ground as he covered the protest. “I tried to film the policemen, and then they decided to arrest me,” photographer Tomer Appelbaum said. “One punched me, one kneed me and one shoved my head.”

After initially telling organizers that they could not hold the protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank, police said Friday that the demonstration would be allowed to proceed.

The organizers welcomed the decision. “We did not give in to the attempts to silence us,” they said in a statement, “or give in to annexation, which will perpetuate the occupation and thwart the two-state solution.”

Law enforcement authorities eventually gave the march their approval after lawmakers from the Joint List of predominantly Arab parties held talks with the police. Threats from left-wing activists to come to the square despite the ban also played a role in the decision.

On Thursday, organizers said that police told them that they cannot hold the event in the Tel Aviv landmark due to coronavirus regulations. Police suggested that the protest be held in the city’s Yarkon Park instead, citing regulations and saying that too many people are expected to attend, according to activists.

Police said in a statement that they had told organizers the square isn’t large enough for the number of protesters expected: “It was made clear to the organizers that the square can’t contain the amount of protesters expected to show up.” According to police, a proposal for an alternative location “was unfortunately turned down,” adding that the organizers “showed no responsibility for the protesters’ safety and health.”

On Wednesday, police told organizers that they could not march and asked them to put a damper on attendance amid a rise in coronavirus cases, saying that a rally with more than 1,800 people in the square was forbidden. Organizers told police that protests with more participants had been held during periods with more stringent restrictions, but this failed to convince them, they said.

Joint List Chairman Ayman Odeh said on Twitter that Saturday’s event should go ahead as planned. “It isn’t surprising that the only demonstration the police are trying to prevent is an Arab-Jewish one against the annexation and the occupation and for peace and democracy,” he wrote. “The coronavirus is dangerous, but we mustn’t give up the right to protest in public.”

Earlier this week, the police blocked a march against violence against women. A demonstration took place at Charles Clore Park instead, on Tel Aviv’s waterfront.

Netanyahu has set July 1 as the deadline for beginning the process of unilaterally annexing settlements established in the West Bank since 1967, including the Jordan Valley. This week, he sought to reassure settler leaders that annexation would be promoted independently of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan. In past weeks, settlers have opposed the conditions delineated in the Trump plan, namely a freeze on settlement expansion and the isolation of some 15 settlements inside territories of a future Palestinian state, which they also oppose the establishment of.

After the meeting with settlers leaders this week, Netanyahu’s office put out a statement that the prime minister is committed to negotiations with Palestinians under the Trump plan.