Shikma Bressler, a prominent political activist and a key figure in the historic 2023 protests in Israel, told CNN that today’s protest feels “different.”
Bressler explained, “The people of Israel have been taught to value life as sacred, and now they see that the government is violating this fundamental value. This became glaringly evident with the news of the six hostages’ deaths.”
She added, “There’s a difference between knowing something and truly feeling it. Today, the public’s understanding has connected with their emotions. The realization has hit: Israel’s government seems to prefer its citizens’ deaths over returning them home, restoring the mandate to the people, and calling for elections.”
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Saturday that they had located and recovered the bodies of the six hostages killed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip and brought them back to Israeli territory. This development has sparked renewed outrage towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for failing to negotiate their release.
In response to the situation, Arnon Bar-David, chairman of Israel’s General Federation of Labor (Histadrut), has called for a nationwide general strike starting Monday morning following a “charged and difficult” meeting with representatives of the hostage families in Tel Aviv.
Israeli strikers and protesters demand Gaza deal after six hostages killed
