From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Lapid urges government supporters to join Sunday’s general strike
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid is urging government supporters to join Sunday’s planned general strike in solidarity with the families of hostages, slain soldiers and victims of Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre.
“You can just stop for one day and say this is terrible, this is sad, that you’re not looking away and not telling people whose lives have been destroyed to ‘be quiet,’” Lapid says.
“Strike because the families asked, and that is reason enough. Strike because no one has a monopoly on emotion, on shared responsibility, on Jewish values,” he says, noting the 676 days of grief endured by many families.
“Strike so that, for at least one day, it will be clear we still have something good in common. That being Israeli, first and foremost, means having a heart,” Lapid adds.
The strike, set for August 17, is being organized by the October Council, a group representing families affected by Hamas’s attack.
They are protesting the continuation of the war and the government’s plan for a military takeover of Gaza City, which they warn could endanger hostages still held in Gaza and lead to further IDF casualties.
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