At anti-war protest, former Meretz chair Zehava Galon says Israel’s far-right is asset to Hamas

Zehava Galon, former chairwoman of the left-wing Meretz party, calls the ongoing fighting in Gaza a “political war” before a crowd of anti-war protesters in Tel Aviv.

“The fighting in Gaza has one reason and one reason only — Netanyahu’s coalition,” the ex-politician says from onstage at Habima Square, as demonstrators boo the premier’s name.

“We won’t have security so long as the coalition of deatheaters remains in power,” she says. “We need to end the political war, the fighting which serves people whose political fuel is the conflict!”

She calls Israel’s far-right an asset to Hamas, “just as the right views Hamas as an asset.”

She also brings up escalating violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank, telling the crowd to “ask why soldiers are being sent to serve as security for settler pogroms in Susya.”

Susya is one of several Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills that have been targeted in an increasing number of extremist attacks by Israeli settlers.

The crowd begins to chant, “Down with the occupation!”

Despite a small group of counterprotesters, the protest ends peacefully. No arrests were made throughout the evening.