A general strike against the ongoing war in Gaza took place in Israel on
August 17. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets and
protesters blocked roads across the country. Despite the official
refusal of the Histadrut trade union to support the strike, many
businesses, local government offices, universities, tech companies,
restaurants, theaters and other organizations remained closed. -
Protests against the war and the government leading it take place every
Sunday in Israel. But this time the scale was truly enormous. To the
sound of drums and horns, demonstrators poured out onto the streets in
droves on the morning of a nationwide general strike called by two
organizations, including the October Council, which unites relatives of
hostages held by Hamas, relatives of those killed in the October 7
massacre and survivors. In dozens of cities across the country, people
demanded an end to the war in Gaza and the return of all hostages held
by terrorist groups in Gaza.
"Every bullet, every blow could end their lives. End the war and end the
suffering," the demonstrators chanted. Police arrested nearly 40
protesters who blocked traffic on the roads and, in some cases, clashed
with the forces protecting the capitalist order who were trying to lift
the blockade. In the suburbs of Jerusalem, police used water cannons to
disperse demonstrators who had sat down in a tunnel on Route 16 leading
to the city. In Tel Aviv, 11 protesters were arrested and charged with
"disturbing public order and significantly impeding freedom of movement."
Throughout the morning, protesters blocked parts of Route 1, the main
thoroughfare linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Begin Boulevard in
Jerusalem, Kaplan Street and Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, Route 4 at the
Ra'anana Junction, Routes 65, 75 and 89 in northern Israel, and Routes
443, 40 and 44 in the center of the country. Burning barricades made of
tires appeared on the roads. On Ayalon Highway, they tried to break
through, but were pushed back by police, who also confiscated the
protesters' equipment. According to the Hostages and Missing Families
Forum, which organized the strike, protesters handed out yellow ribbons,
a symbol of the hostages, at highway intersections.
Demonstrators also gathered in front of the homes of the ministers of
strategic affairs, justice, economy, education and the deputy foreign
minister in Jerusalem, Modiin, Hod Hasharon and Kfar Saba, and in front
of military headquarters.
"This is just the beginning. We intend to escalate our struggle. We have
no other choice," said Lishey Miran Lavi, the wife of a hostage.
About 1 million people took part in demonstrations across the country,
including 500,000 in Tel Aviv.
"We are at a critical moment in Israel," demonstrator Dani Kalmanson
told the channel. "We cannot continue indefinitely. We are losing all
these people. Israel can afford to say: 'Let's declare a ceasefire
immediately. Bring them home.'"
March participant Naama Gild said she came to support the families of
the hostages. "We don't want to be here every weekend. We just want them
to go home," she said. "I think some[politicians]are not listening to
us. I think Bibi Netanyahu is doing Israel a disservice right now. They
need to listen because nothing is changing."
The climax of the day came in the evening at Tel Aviv's Hostage Square,
now the symbolic center of the hostage movement. Organizers estimated
that more than 300,000 protesters filled the square and surrounding
streets, although police did not release official figures.
During the Tel Aviv rally, some members of the "opposition
establishment" tried to call for "national unity" while voicing support
for the protest. Among them were the Israeli president and the leader of
the Histadrut. But public patience is clearly wearing thin. Relatives of
the hostages who spoke emphasized that the war was pointless and would
not contribute to the release of the Hamas captives. They spoke of the
need to stop the fighting and negotiate.
After the speeches, hundreds of people headed to the Likud party
headquarters, where they lit a fire and clashed with the police. Police
officers did not allow the protesters to enter the Metzudat Zeev
building. Videos published online show police fighting with
demonstrators who were beating drums and chanting anti-government slogans.
The government is responding to the protests with cynical impudence. At
a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the protests "guarantee a repeat of
the October 7 atrocities" and reduce the chances of the hostages being
released. He warned that the rallies would lead to IDF soldiers "having
to fight this eternal war over and over again." Later, the government
called up another 60,000 reservists.
It is quite obvious that peaceful protests are no longer enough...
Based on materials from:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/we-want-them-back-israelis-strike-and-protest-in-call-for-hostage-deal-end-of-war/;
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/protesters-israel-nationwide-strike-demand-ceasefire-release-hostages-gaza/;
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-18/israel-nationwide-protests-end-gaza-war-release-hostages/105664970;
https://thejewishindependent.com.au/a-million-israelis-demonstrate-as-netanyahu-resists-hostage-ceasefire-deal
https://aitrus.info/node/6329
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
August 17. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets and
protesters blocked roads across the country. Despite the official
refusal of the Histadrut trade union to support the strike, many
businesses, local government offices, universities, tech companies,
restaurants, theaters and other organizations remained closed. -
Protests against the war and the government leading it take place every
Sunday in Israel. But this time the scale was truly enormous. To the
sound of drums and horns, demonstrators poured out onto the streets in
droves on the morning of a nationwide general strike called by two
organizations, including the October Council, which unites relatives of
hostages held by Hamas, relatives of those killed in the October 7
massacre and survivors. In dozens of cities across the country, people
demanded an end to the war in Gaza and the return of all hostages held
by terrorist groups in Gaza.
"Every bullet, every blow could end their lives. End the war and end the
suffering," the demonstrators chanted. Police arrested nearly 40
protesters who blocked traffic on the roads and, in some cases, clashed
with the forces protecting the capitalist order who were trying to lift
the blockade. In the suburbs of Jerusalem, police used water cannons to
disperse demonstrators who had sat down in a tunnel on Route 16 leading
to the city. In Tel Aviv, 11 protesters were arrested and charged with
"disturbing public order and significantly impeding freedom of movement."
Throughout the morning, protesters blocked parts of Route 1, the main
thoroughfare linking Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, Begin Boulevard in
Jerusalem, Kaplan Street and Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, Route 4 at the
Ra'anana Junction, Routes 65, 75 and 89 in northern Israel, and Routes
443, 40 and 44 in the center of the country. Burning barricades made of
tires appeared on the roads. On Ayalon Highway, they tried to break
through, but were pushed back by police, who also confiscated the
protesters' equipment. According to the Hostages and Missing Families
Forum, which organized the strike, protesters handed out yellow ribbons,
a symbol of the hostages, at highway intersections.
Demonstrators also gathered in front of the homes of the ministers of
strategic affairs, justice, economy, education and the deputy foreign
minister in Jerusalem, Modiin, Hod Hasharon and Kfar Saba, and in front
of military headquarters.
"This is just the beginning. We intend to escalate our struggle. We have
no other choice," said Lishey Miran Lavi, the wife of a hostage.
About 1 million people took part in demonstrations across the country,
including 500,000 in Tel Aviv.
"We are at a critical moment in Israel," demonstrator Dani Kalmanson
told the channel. "We cannot continue indefinitely. We are losing all
these people. Israel can afford to say: 'Let's declare a ceasefire
immediately. Bring them home.'"
March participant Naama Gild said she came to support the families of
the hostages. "We don't want to be here every weekend. We just want them
to go home," she said. "I think some[politicians]are not listening to
us. I think Bibi Netanyahu is doing Israel a disservice right now. They
need to listen because nothing is changing."
The climax of the day came in the evening at Tel Aviv's Hostage Square,
now the symbolic center of the hostage movement. Organizers estimated
that more than 300,000 protesters filled the square and surrounding
streets, although police did not release official figures.
During the Tel Aviv rally, some members of the "opposition
establishment" tried to call for "national unity" while voicing support
for the protest. Among them were the Israeli president and the leader of
the Histadrut. But public patience is clearly wearing thin. Relatives of
the hostages who spoke emphasized that the war was pointless and would
not contribute to the release of the Hamas captives. They spoke of the
need to stop the fighting and negotiate.
After the speeches, hundreds of people headed to the Likud party
headquarters, where they lit a fire and clashed with the police. Police
officers did not allow the protesters to enter the Metzudat Zeev
building. Videos published online show police fighting with
demonstrators who were beating drums and chanting anti-government slogans.
The government is responding to the protests with cynical impudence. At
a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the protests "guarantee a repeat of
the October 7 atrocities" and reduce the chances of the hostages being
released. He warned that the rallies would lead to IDF soldiers "having
to fight this eternal war over and over again." Later, the government
called up another 60,000 reservists.
It is quite obvious that peaceful protests are no longer enough...
Based on materials from:
https://www.timesofisrael.com/we-want-them-back-israelis-strike-and-protest-in-call-for-hostage-deal-end-of-war/;
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/protesters-israel-nationwide-strike-demand-ceasefire-release-hostages-gaza/;
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-18/israel-nationwide-protests-end-gaza-war-release-hostages/105664970;
https://thejewishindependent.com.au/a-million-israelis-demonstrate-as-netanyahu-resists-hostage-ceasefire-deal
https://aitrus.info/node/6329
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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