Summer of protests as government takes the heat

The temperature is rising in Israel. Peak summer brings soaring temperatures, uncomfortable humidity, and as has become a regular occurrence on a Saturday night, protests across the country.

Last year, prior to the massacre of 7 October, was a year of protest, as Israeli society became dangerously divided over the issue of judicial reform. After 7 October, Israel united like never before. The issue of reform, which created massive chasms, was a distant memory. This year, protests gave way to rallies, and crowds have gathered in Hostage Square, through rain, cold, even impending attack from Iran, to demand the release of the 120 hostages still held by Hamas. The hostages are all we think about in Israel. We want them home. Now!

On Sunday, Israel marked nine months since that Black Sabbath, when 1 200 were slaughtered and 253 taken hostage. The past nine months have been a brutal gestation period that has given birth to a very different Israel. We’re all still carrying the profound trauma of that day, in fact, we haven’t moved on from those dark hours. We’re all hardened from living through a war that’s difficult to fully comprehend unless you live here. I’ve come to despise the words “cleared for publication”, which brings us devastating news of another fallen soldier. We all desperately try to piece together our shattered hearts, but as a cracked vase glued together, it will never be the same. We’re not the same. We’re angry and frustrated.

It’s impossible to travel the length and breadth of Israel without seeing the posters of hostages and signs demanding, “Bring them home!” and “Release them now!”

These aren’t protests that pit right against left or religious against secular; these are the protests of a steadily frustrated and angry society against the government, which many feel isn’t doing enough to secure the release of the hostages. Israelis may have differing opinions about how the war is being conducted, but there’s absolutely no dispute about the fact that we want the hostages home now so those who are dead can be buried with dignity and those who are still alive can start to recover.

There’s growing anti-government sentiment within these protests. Many feel the government isn’t doing enough to secure the release of the hostages, and many blame Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for prolonging the war to keep a hold on power and avoid elections. The prime minister’s approval ratings are at an all-time low, and according to a poll conducted last week, 66% of Israelis want Netanyahu to leave politics. There’s also growing demand for the premier to accept responsibility for the failures that led to 7 October. Netanyahu has said that he, too, will face an inquiry into these failures, but hasn’t said the words Israelis want to hear, “I’m sorry. I take responsibility.” His predecessors have, as has the security establishment. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is presently conducting its own internal investigation.

As the size of the protests increase, so does the potential for violence. There have been clashes between police and protesters. Though many are frustrated and angry, it doesn’t excuse any hateful rhetoric coming from any group. Protests have also increased in the haredi community, furious at the recent Supreme Court ruling that eligible men of fighting age will be drafted into the IDF. Earlier this week, President Isaac Herzog warned against inflammatory speech, saying, “When groups incite and accuse each other of trying to undermine and destroy the country, it’s clear to all of us that something terrible is happening here, something that begins with verbal violence but that I suspect really won’t end there.”

The president decried statements “against families of hostages and bereaved families; against the chief and commanders of the IDF and the security agencies; against women and members of the media; against the judiciary and judges; against ministers and Knesset members; and against the incumbent prime minister”, which he said have become commonplace.

Israel is a robust and healthy democracy, and the right to protest is sacrosanct, but respect for each other is an imperative.

The heat is rising – in the mercury and on the streets. We mark nine months of sorrow, and nearly 300 days of war and captivity for our hostages. The new Israeli that has been born out of the events of the past nine months must continue to be resilient, proud, and resolute. In no way can we go back to the divisions – whatever they may be – of 2023.

• Rolene Marks is a Middle East commentator often heard on radio and TV, and is the co-founder of Lay of the Land and the SA-Israel Policy Forum.