With a hopeless war in Gaza, how anti-Netanyahu protests are giving Israelis agency

Failing war, rising discontent

Over 30,000 people in Gaza lost their lives, and close to two million are homeless, surviving on meagre aid for food, water and medicines. The destruction of homes, schools and hospitals has turned most global civil societies and college campuses against Israel. On the other side, Hamas continues to ignore the plight of the people of Gaza by refusing to free hostages in return for a ceasefire.

Giving up on Netanyahu, the people of Israel have started a four-day protest in front of the parliament building in Jerusalem until April 3. Families, friends and peace groups have been protesting in thousands each Saturday evening at hostage square (kikar hachatufim) for months, and there were more anti-government protests in Kaplan Street in Tel Aviv. On this spot, the democracy movement earned global fame in 2023 for standing against Netanyahu’s judicial reforms and won.

Families of the hostages were optimistic about the likely hostage-ceasefire agreement in March. when Israel’s war in Gaza hit a dead-end, Joe Biden lost trust in Netanyahu and the hostage deal with Hamas collapsed. The US also insisted that the Israeli army not invade Rafah. Finally, in a first, the US didn’t veto the UN Security Council resolution that sought an immediate ceasefire on March 25. Israel’s impossible mission to defeat Hamas militarily seems to be failing. Netanyahu is offering no alternative strategy or heeding the counsel of Joe Biden about letting a multi-nation coalition of Arab states take over the governance and well-being of the people of Gaza.

The protesters’ demands

Not waiting for the end of the war and taking the Israeli flag in hand, more than 1,00,000 people gathered in Jerusalem on the first day of the protest on March 31. Hundreds of tents were erected around the parliament so the protesters could stay there for days. Along with distraught families of hostages, there are others directly impacted by the impasse in the war such as people from the north of Israel who have been evacuated from their homes for the last five months because of the constant shelling by Hezbollah. Then there are people from the south who cannot return to their burnt homes and vandalised kibbutzim. A new group of anti-war women protesters called Mother’s Cry is also seeking an immediate end to the war as their soldier sons and daughters are currently in Gaza, and they fear endless. In solidarity, the Israel Business Forum, representing more than 200 largest private sector companies, also allowed its employees to join the protest in Jerusalem with paid leave.

The protesters seem resolved and are asking for early elections, accountability for October 7, and a compromise with Hamas for the sake of hostages. Netanyahu appeared shaky when he chose to address the nation on the eve of the first day of the protest. He addressed the families of hostages and victims of the war, assuring them that he would bring the hostages back. Predictably, he warned that early elections would take the focus away from the war, and Hamas would be glad to see further instability in Israel.

The protesters succeeded in stopping judicial reforms last year, and their fight now for new elections offers a sense of direction and agency for the people amid hopelessness and defeat in Gaza.

Jangid is associate professor and director, Centre for Israel Studies, Jindal School of International Affairs, O P Jindal Global University, Sonipat