‘Don’t bomb’: Israelis call for ending Iran war
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Israelis protesting against war and the Israeli government in Kiryat Shmona, northern Israel, on April 4.
PHOTO: EPA
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- Hundreds of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv on April 4 against the war with Iran, chanting anti-Netanyahu slogans and carrying anti-war banners.
- Protesters like Alon-Lee Green criticised restrictions on demonstrations and demanded an end to wars in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.
- Demonstrators voiced scepticism about the war's justification, with one protester suggesting Netanyahu aimed to halt his corruption trial.
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TEL AVIV – Carrying anti-war banners and chanting slogans against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hundreds of Israelis rallied in Tel Aviv on April 4 to protest against the war with Iran.
Demonstrators gathered in a central square, holding signs that read: “Don’t bomb – talk! End the endless war!” despite restrictions on mass gatherings imposed during the conflict with Iran.
“Police are trying to silence our voice,” Mr Alon-Lee Green, the co-director of Israeli-Palestinian grassroots group Standing Together, told AFP.
“We are here to demand an end to the war in Iran, the war in Lebanon and the war in Gaza, which is still going on, as well as an end to the pogroms in the West Bank.
“In Israel, there’s always a war. So, if we’re not allowed to demonstrate, we will never be allowed to speak,” he added.
The police detained Mr Green and several other protesters, an AFP correspondent reported.
Protesters also voiced scepticism about the government’s justification for the war with Iran.
“I’m very suspicious of the reasons. I think the main reason is that Bibi wants to stop his trial,” said 62-year-old Cecile, who gave only her first name, referring to Mr Netanyahu by his nickname.
He is on trial in a long-running corruption case and has sought a presidential pardon, with US President Donald Trump repeatedly pressuring Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant one.
In a video statement released on the evening of April 4, Mr Netanyahu vowed to press ahead with the military campaign against Iran.
“I promised you that we would continue to strike the terror regime in Tehran, and that is exactly what we are doing,” he said.
“Today, we attacked their petrochemicals hub,” he added, after announcing strikes on Iran’s steel-producing facilities the day before.
“These two things are their cash machine for funding the war of terror against us and against the entire world. We will continue to strike them.”
Protester Cecile said the reasons for the war kept shifting. “The reasons for the war keep moving and changing all the time. We don’t know what will be considered a success or a failure, and we don’t know how long it’s going to take,” she said.
Protesters held the rally despite restrictions on mass gatherings imposed since the start of the war.
Since midnight, several waves of Iranian missiles have been launched towards Israel, including targets in Tel Aviv and other areas of central Israel.
The missile fire injured at least five people, according to Israeli medics.
Later on the evening of April 4, demonstrators began leaving the square following an alert warning of an incoming missile.
Minutes later, the military reported it had detected an incoming missile from Yemen.
Since Feb 28, the US and Israel have conducted joint strikes against Iran, prompting the Islamic republic to retaliate with daily missile barrages targeting Israel and several neighbouring countries across the region. AFP
