Gaza Border Residents: Leftists Tried to Take Over Our Protest

Residents of the Gaza border area on Sunday complained that leftists had “taken over” their protest in Tel Aviv Motzoei Shabbos. Speaking to Channel 20, organizers of the protest that had been called to demand stronger action against Hamas said that residents who came to protest found themselves outnumbered by leftists, who turned the demonstration into a protest against the government. Organizers demanded that the leftists remove their anti-government signs and conduct their own protest, but were refused, they said.

On Motzoei Shabbos, hundreds of residents of southern Israel again protested in Tel Aviv, demanding that the IDF act more aggressively against Hamas. The protesters gathered in Rabin Square and from there marched down Ibn Gvrirol Boulevard, with streets in the area closed to traffic. This was the second week in a row that residents of the area came to Tel Aviv to protest the impending ceasefire agreement, with protesters saying that instead of negotiating with Hamas, Israel should be attacking and destroying it.

But protesters complained that their protest had been “hijacked” by leftists, who joined them – uninvited – and attempted to steal their thunder. “They were carrying signs and shouting slogans about ‘corruption’ and how Prime Minister Netanyahu is a ‘criminal,’” one protester told Channel 20. “They are embarrassing themselves.

“They are not interested in our troubles, the rockets that are falling on us and the fires we have to contend with from the kites and balloons sent over by terrorists,” the protester said. “They are only interested in power politics, in the left replacing the right. I am a Netanyahu supporter, but all I want is for him to be more concerned about me than he is about Hamas. Both he and Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman need to wake up. The left is ruining everything good about this country, and has ruined our protest as well.”