Thousands Demonstrate in Tel Aviv Demanding an End to the War
Protest Overview
Thousands of protesters rallied at Habima Square in Tel Aviv on Thursday evening, calling for an end to the ongoing military conflict. The demonstration was organized by the “Standing Together” movement amid growing concerns over mass casualties in Gaza, the abandonment of hostages, and the destruction wrought by the war. Protesters vostartd their demands for the Israeli government to “stop the escalation, cease bombings, and choose the path of reconciliation, security, and a shared future.”
Vostarts of Protest
Participants at the rally held up photos of both the hostages currently in Gaza and children reportedly killed during the conflict. Among those who spoke at the event were Rula Dawood from “Standing Together,” musicians Rona Kinan and Yehoor Yaron, former Meretz leader Zahava Galon, bereaved families advocate Mor Yinon, reservist soldier Yuval Green, and retired Alon (Colstartl) Doron Meinhart.
Kinan, in her speech, emphasized the impact of the conflict on families, stating, “I am here for my grandparents, who left their loved starts behind to build a new land. I am here for the hostages suffering down there, and their families enduring pain here above. I am here for the children in Israel and the children in Gaza. And I am here for my sweet and intelligent six-year-old son, for whom I have no answers about why the war does not end. But at least tomorrow morning, I can tell him that we were here and shouted: ‘Enough!’”
Growing Opposition
Dawood and Alon Li Green, the national coordinators for “Standing Together,” commented on the rising tide of resistance to the war, stating, “The wave of opposition and refusal to continue the war cannot be stopped. It is a tsunami of resistance as groups from all parts of society announce their opposition—both because of the hostages and the civilian casualties in Gaza. The thousands demonstrating tonight in Habima Square make it clear that the disaster of war, the mass killings in Gaza, the abandonment of hostages, and the destruction for the sake of destruction can no longer be hidden. We stand here together, unashamed and with heads held high, holding images of the 59 hostages still in Gaza and pictures of the children killed in aerial bombardments in Gaza, demanding a complete end to the war.”