From the Liveblog of
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Protest leader slams government for going ahead with Knesset recess: Every three days, a hostage dies
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government does not represent the Israeli public, protest leader Moshe Radman states on the sidelines of a massive anti-government demonstration in Jerusalem, demanding the Knesset postpone its upcoming break.
“Everyone is here today. Brothers in Arms, Kaplan Force, everyone,” he says naming various protest movements.
“We’re here from now until Wednesday. First of all, we want elections because we think this government is not representing the public and second of all we think it is not a good time to take a recess when the hostages are still there,” he states.
Last week, the Knesset House Committee voted to approve a six-week break despite vociferous objections by parties in both the opposition and coalition. The recess is slated to run from April 7 to May 19.
“Every three days a hostage dies. They are leaving for 42 days. That means that 14 hostages will die,” Radman says, at the beginning of what is set to be a four-day protest event in Israel’s capital.
The organizers of the protest are calling for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government to resign, for Israel to hold early elections, and for the country’s leaders to agree to a hostage deal that will bring about the release of the 130 captives held in Gaza since October 7.
Protests will be centered around the Knesset but will also be held in other key locations, including close to Netanyahu’s Jerusalem residence.
Earlier on Sunday, the Haaretz daily reported that Radman told a small group of followers on social media that the goal of the Jerusalem rallies was to “create a big event that moves the needle” and pressure the government to schedule the next elections before Independence Day, set for May 13-14.
Asked if he thinks the demonstrations would change Netanyahu’s mind on any of the issues, Radman tells The Times of Israel that the prime minister “can’t listen because he’s in the middle of [ensuring] his [political] survival [and the preservation] of his leadership but I hope that the people in the coalition will hear us and will understand that the only way that Israel will recover from this disaster is by elections.”
