Lior Ashkenazi accuses government of ‘abandonment’ in fiery speech as rally for hostages begins

In front of thousands of demonstrators gathered at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, actor Lior Ashkenazi delivers a fiery speech lambasting the government, accusing ministers of delaying the signing of a hostage deal.

“An entire week, an entire week has passed since Hamas sent its agreement,” he says, noting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet met earlier in the day. The ministers reportedly did not discuss the temporary ceasefire on the table.

“How callous, obtuse and indifferent must one be to behave this way?” he says. “This is abandonment, there is no other word,” he says, adding that “this evening proves it.”

“There will be no more routine so long as they [the hostages] are there,” he says, calling on the government to adopt the current proposal for a temporary ceasefire and hostage release.

“Move forward with this agreement, damn it!” he shouts.

“Whoever thought that last week was the peak [of protests] hasn’t seen anything,” he says to cheers from the crowd.