Anti-government protesters block highway junction in north
Cnaan Lidor is The Times of Israel's Jewish World reporter
Hundreds of protesters block traffic at the Amiad Junction in the Upper Galilee as part of the weekly anti-government protests held in locales across Israel.
Turnout for protest at Amiad Junction on Route 90 is an unusually high attendance and follows a march by from the kibbutz, which has recently been targeted multiple times by Hezbollah terrorists. The protesters carry signs against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, with one accusing them of “abandoning the north, south and everything in between.”
Tens of thousands of protesters also gather in Tel Aviv, where the recent largest anti-government rally has been held in recent weeks. Thousands more march in Haifa and gather in Jerusalem, as well as in the southern cities of Beersheba and Mitzpe Ramon.
There are usually only a handful of road closures in the dozens of areas where protest rallies have occurred in recent months.
Separately, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which represents some relatives of captives kidnapped on October 7, is holding its weekly rally at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv. Unlike the nearby anti-government rally, the demonstration at Hostages Square has a stated policy of nonpartisanship.
The organizers are seeking to pressure the government to make a deal with Hamas for the return of the hostages. Hamas is demanding an end to the war started by its October 7 terror onslaught, which Netanyahu has rejected, vowing to continue fighting until the hostages are returned and Hamas is destroyed.