by Deborah Danan at The Times of Israel
200,000 take part in the largest demonstrations since Oct. 7, reflecting a fear across the political spectrum that government moves threaten democracy, as police violence escalates
As Ohad stood in Tel Aviv’s Habima Square on Saturday night, it’s safe to say that he disagreed with many of the tens of thousands of others protesting alongside him.
Unlike the centrist and left-wing politicians who headlined the rally, and many attendees, Ohad, who declined to share his last name, is a staunch conservative voter — consistently supporting parties to the right of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
And even though waves of mass protest have coursed through Israel over the past several years, Ohad said he hadn’t attended a demonstration since 2011, when Israelis rallied in opposition to their rising cost of living.
This week, he decided to take to the streets. Since the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, he’s spent nearly a year of his life as a military reservist, leaving behind a pregnant wife and two young children. Now at home, he was shocked by recent footage of police using violence and skunk water against people protesting Netanyahu. Footage of police officers breaking the car windows of protesters was the final straw for him.
“That broke me. It really made me angry,” he said. “This isn’t what we’re fighting for. I’m afraid we’re very far from democracy now.”
On Saturday night,…
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