Leaders prefer land, blood over captives, son of slain hostage charges at Tel Aviv rally

Speaking at Hostages Square, Boaz Zalmanovich says he recently saw close footage of his father, slain captive Aryeh Zalmanovich, being driven to Gaza by his Hamas captors on October 7, 2023.

“Two weeks ago, I saw a video filmed by one of the murderers on that horrible day that has gone on for 701 days already,” he says. “The recording is from up close, every detail is visible — the bandage on my dad’s head covering the wound that opened up… the blood dripping on his beard, his frightened eyes watching with horror, and his weak hands trying to hang on to the back of the scoundrel sitting in front of him.”

“My father was abandoned on the morning of October 7 and suffered horribly for 40 days before he died,” he says. “And the Israeli government, which prioritizes land over people, which prioritizes vengeance over mercy, did not come to the rescue.”

“The cruel government chooses to keep bloodletting instead of ending the war and returning the captives,” he charges.

Ofir Sharabi, daughter of slain captive Yossi Sharabi, expresses fear that the new Gaza City offensive will make the dead captives’ remains irretrievable.

“My father was murdered because of the military pressure that was brought to bear near the home where he was being held — but we need to beg for him to be brought back for burial?” she says. “The decision to conquer Gaza City means the murder and disappearance of the hostages.”

The Hostages Square rally ends with Ofir’s sister Yuval singing “Hatikva,” the national anthem.

Last month, anti-government protesters who rallied weekly a block away from Hostages Square, in front of the Begin Road entrance to the IDF headquarters, announced they would stop holding their weekly rally to consolidate the campaign for the captives’ release.

Now Begin Road is all but empty except for several dozen left-wing protesters who previously stood on the fringes of the Begin rally, bearing signs and chanting slogans accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.

About 20 policemen stand in formation next to the left-wing protest. When a small band of right-wing youth walks by and start to curse at the protest, the cops escort them away.