A motley mix of Israeli groups opposing Netanyahu

Israel is experiencing the most important protests in its history. Social pressure, a split in the military and a general strike called by the country’s main union led Benjamin Netanyahu this week to accept a one-month pause in his judicial reform plan put it under government control.

This suspension, however, has not calmed spirits and mass mobilizations against the executive continue as protesters do not believe the Prime Minister’s words. Netanyahu managed to unite groups of Israelis from different worlds in the streets, from opposition political parties to social movements, groups of military veterans or young people connected to the world startups.

The fight against judicial reform is the point of the trade union to take to the streets and protest every week. The big absentees are the Israeli Arabs, those 20% of the country’s population who feel second-rate and see that there is no room for them or for the Palestinian conflict on the list of demands.

Like them, it seems that the rest of the Palestinians, those who live on the other side of the wall in the occupied territories, have been forgotten, although little by little more and more slogans such as “where were you in Huwara?”. This is the question protesters ask the police every time there is an accusation, a question that should remind security forces that in February they allowed settlers to take the law into their own hands and avenge two of their own by killing a Palestinian and burning dozens of vehicles and homes.

The Pink Front is one of the most visible groups because of its pink clothing. It all started three years ago as a response by artists in the country to Netanyahu’s excesses. Every week they went to protests in Balfour—the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem—to demand the removal of the head of government from power and to prepare performances as a form of non-violent protest.

During the year in power, the Government of Change took a break, but “now we are back strong because it is an urgent moment”, explains Sharon Saguy, flamenco dancer, choreographer and member of the Pink Front.

The Handmaid’s Tale

They hold weekly meetings via Zoom with other groups to coordinate actions. The Pink Front is present in the capitals and fights for a “liberal and egalitarian Israel”, says Saguy, worried about “an increase in violence by far-right groups and the police against us.” One of the images that best symbolizes this wave of protest is the penetration of groups of women marching in silence, with red capes and white hats, imitating the novel The Handmaid’s TaleMargaret Atwood, who also has her own television version.

Behind the idea is the women’s rights group Bonot Alternativa, which was founded by Moran Zer Katzenstein after the gang rape suffered by a teenage girl in Eilat in 2020. The goal is to “mark the red line. Women will be the first to be harmed.”, says Katzenstein to the AP agency. Atwood’s novel, which welcomed the initiative of these Israeli women, takes place in a futuristic patriarchal society where robed maids are enslaved and forced to bear children for the leaders.

The full message from Tel Aviv to Netanyahu’s ultra-Orthodox allies in the Government, who do not allow the presence of women in their parties. The Movement for Quality Government (MGQ), with more than 30 years of history and 65,000 members, is characterized by the fact that it is made up of lawyers, under the leadership of Eliad Shrage, a veteran who is always in the front lines. mobilization line.

This lawyer published a list of ten prerequisites before the start of negotiations between the Government and the opposition, among which is the need adopt a Constitution based on the “spirit” of the Declaration of Independenceand the adoption of the declaration on guaranteeing equality “in rights and obligations”.

MGQ does not trust the dialogue offered by Netanyahu because it is taking place at the same time that the executive branch continues with the legislative process for the reform process.

Shraga calls for a “clear separation of powers” and a system of checks and balances, an independent commission to select judges not controlled by politicians, mechanisms to prevent anyone prosecuted or convicted of serious crimes from serving in government, and a rejection of any expansion of the powers of state rabbinical courts. This list is the opposite of the path taken by the government in the hands of the ultra-nationalist Zionists and the ultra-Orthodox.