Israeli military veterans, a backbone of protest movement, vow to keep demonstrating

Tel Aviv
Cnn
–

In the sea of ​​Israeli flags, Yiftach Golov has one look a little different.

Golov is among the hundreds of thousands of protesters who went to the streets for the 13th week on Saturday, and raises a brown flag representing a group called “Kardeşlerleri ör.

They are now many of the elite forces, many of the elite forces – many of them – many of them – to save Israeli democracy.

Am We believe that it is our responsibility to call this madness to the flag of the nation to defend Israel once again to defend Israel, ünde

During the second intifada, in the early 2000s, Golov served in the Special Forces Discovery Unit. He was never political before, he focused on taking his PhD from Biophysics from Tel Aviv University.

However, when the protest movement against the Israeli government’s judicial revision plan began in January, Golov joined a demonstration and soon became one of thousands of veterans, and now there was military reserves that took the case as a new mission.

Some, including the Elit Air Force reserves, went one step further to protest the government’s planned judicial changes or even protest the planned judicial changes.

Others have become some of the most active organizers and demonstrators. Last week, a group of arms brothers protested by carrying a figure wrapped on a stretcher to the flag of Israel, carrying a wounded comrade from the field.

Golov says that he did not take a hard step to reject the service and understands motivation.

Uz We are fighting for justice and freedom, just like the American story, the values ​​represented when we look at our flag are missing for the last few decades. Basically, we regain the flag. ”

Other members of the group, all wearing brown shirts with the logo of the organization, come and say hello. Sprinkle during the protests. Even one leads to the “pink façade ,, a group of coordinated drummers who seem to have dressed for a rava and usually lead cheering in protests.

They are now using the skills they have learned in the army – how to organize, how to activate – now use it for protests. But more importantly, they say they have the same motivation.

Golov is a very deep feeling that you allow you to sacrifice everything that is needed, “you are part of something bigger than yourself, you have your career, health, serious mental health, and everything needed.” “We all have a mission, you want to do it at any cost. You are very determined, you know that you are on the right, you carry the light torch. This motivates us very much, although we haven’t slept for days.”

Israel’s protest movement consists of many different groups, but the pressure of Israel’s very promised veterans is seen as the key to moving the needle.

Last Monday, after weeks of protests and the largest general strike in the history of Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a pause in the legislation to spend time for negotiation with the opposition.

However, despite the announcements, protesters are still on a large number of streets. CNN Affiliate Channel 12 in Israel estimated the size of the show in about 150,000 people in Tel Aviv on Saturday. Organizers claimed that it was 230,000.

The mass protests of the last week and the widespread strike action, Netanyahu’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has decided that he defended a delay in the passing of the legislation – a movement of Netanyahu to CNN because of the “current security situation”.

In his speech on television, Gallant called for delay, allowing some Israeli Defense Forces reserves to receive training to protest against government plans, and that the pause in the legislation is necessary for “Israel’s security”. Authority said that pressure on proposals may threaten Israel’s security.

Under pressure from allies at home and abroad, Netanyahu said that Knesset will delay the votes in the legislation until the aftermath of Knesset will give time for a real chance for a real debate ında in April.

Im I decided to delay the responsibility against the nation to devote time to discussion, ”he added.

However, Netanyahu said that the delay was only temporary. He insisted that ovul was necessary and reiterated the criticism of refusing to train or serve in the army to protest the planned changes. “Rejecting the end of our country,” he said.

Many protesters do not believe that pause is real, or they do not say that it is just a tactic to give Netanyahu breathing rooms and allow protesters to go home before spreading to reforms.

“When we know that the Israeli state will remain as a functional democratic country, we will begin to deactivation when we know that it will remain as a functional democratic country. What needs to be done for this,” he said.