Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Tel Aviv

Protests broke out in Tel Aviv against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his refusal to establish an independent state commission of inquiry to investigate the intelligence and security failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

Speakers at the demonstration, held at Tel Aviv’s Habima Square on Saturday, launched scathing criticisms against Netanyahu.

Ayala Metzger—whose 80-year-old father-in-law, Yoram, was abducted to Gaza during the attacks and subsequently killed in Hamas captivity—addressed the crowd, stating, "As time passes, our questions only keep mounting."

Metzger noted that a statutory state commission is Israel’s highest investigative authority, typically composed of independent experts appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

In contrast, the investigative committee proposed by Netanyahu would allow politicians to select its members.

"In this political, populist, and fascist investigative committee... there would be three representatives from the ruling coalition and three from the opposition," Metzger said. "If the opposition members refuse to be part of this farce, those three coalition members will function as the entire committee. In other words, they will be investigating themselves for the very crimes they are responsible for."

Eran Litman, whose 26-year-old daughter Orya was killed during the Hamas attack at the Nova music festival, also spoke at the rally, declaring, "She was murdered because of a holy war."

Litman asserted that while Hamas extremists killed Orya, letters left behind by the deceased Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar revealed that damage inflicted on Islamic holy sites by Jewish extremists had triggered this endless conflict.

"Don't you dare look me in the eye and tell me that reading the Torah protects us," Litman said. "If anyone dares say that to me, I will bury them six feet under so they can go tell my daughter Orya themselves."

He added, "The fire burning inside me is hotter than the fires of hell."

Before making these remarks, Litman noted that four Haredi volunteers from the ZAKA search and rescue organization had recovered his daughter’s body. In his view, those volunteers were "no less heroic than any commando soldier." Litman clarified that his anger is directed solely at the government, not the volunteers, with whom he has since forged a friendship.

As Litman was speaking, police intervened to break up a scuffle in the crowd. The altercation began when a government supporter, Hadar Muchtar, provocatively attempted to film the protesters, prompting an anti-government influencer to shout and try to stop her.

Police removed both individuals from the scene and took statements from them before they were released.
Source: The Times of Israel