Protestors celebrate Biden win, call out Likud Iran accusations
"Even if the Left's protests switch their black flags to pink flags, they will not be able to blur the fact that they are supported by one of the darkest regimes in the world."
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERIAn overhead view of the ceremony commemorating 25 years since the assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, Rabin Square, Tel Aviv. November 7, 2020(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)
Protesters against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership had three main slogans to recognize at Saturday night’s protests: The 25th anniversary of the assassination of former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, claims by the Likud Party that the protesters are affiliated with Iran, and the apparent nomination of US President-Elect Joe Biden.All of Israel recognized the 25th year following Rabin’s assassination throughout the previous week. Anti-Netanyahu protesters held a massive assembly in Rabin Square – the very location of its namesake’s murder – to remember him.Protesters in Jerusalem who insisted on demonstrating in front of the Prime Minister’s Residence nevertheless paid their respects to the assassinated prime minister by lighting candles in his name.At the same time, Joe Biden was announced by the largest media outlets in the United States as the president elect. The protest organizations, ahead of the demonstrations, announced that the protests would run under the title, “Now you, since he’s gone,” suggesting that the US managed to “get rid of” US President Donald Trump and now Israel must do the same with Netanyahu.“The American people have truly, rightly, chosen the person who chose to connect in a place where there was incitement and a culture of lies,” the Black Flags movement said in response. “A wave of truth will wash over the world, and with it Israel, too, will gain new leadership that works for the citizens and not against them.”“Like Trump, Netanyahu is hysterical because his time has passed,” the Crime Minister protesting organization announced.The protests in Jerusalem began in front of Haportzim 4, where Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, were staying, and marched from there to the residence on Balfour Street. There, they gathered by the thousands, banging on pots and drums to express joy at the Biden win and calling for Netanyahu to be ousted .Meanwhile, the protest organizations were fuming as the Likud Party accused them of involvement with Iran. Some 12 Facebook accounts, two pages and 307 Instagram accounts were taken down by the social media giant for foreign interference that originated in Iran, targeting the protests.The users created fake personas who claimed to be in Israel, according to Facebook, and would post comedic images and additional content in Hebrew that referred to anti-Netanyahu movements.“Iran, which is working to destroy Israel in an attempt to acquire nuclear weapons and arm the enemies around us, is investing in efforts to overthrow Prime Minister Netanyahu because it knows that Netanyahu has been standing as a wall against these attempts for years,” the Likud said in response to the announcement.
“Even if the Left’s protests switch their black flags to pink flags, they will not be able to blur the fact that they are supported by one of the darkest regimes in the world and they have a mutual goal: to take down Prime Minister Netanyahu,” the statement concluded. “We will not let Iran win.”“You cannot lie to everyone all the time,” protest organizer Asaf Agmon of the Ein Matsav (No Way) movement said. “The US understood that. The Likud has not understood yet that the public knows how pathetic they are, and it will go against them.”He clarified, “All of our funds are either private funds from the people or it’s from fundraising. I believe it is the same thing with the other protesting organizations. No shekel goes through us. The use of Iran against the protesters is incitement.”“There has never been in the State of Israel a prime minister who hated and incited so much against the citizens of the state,” the Black Flags Movement responded.The Crime Minister organization sarcastically responded, “We admit that Iran does secretly encourage us to get stuck in traffic, look for parking close to Sara, risk getting high fines, in addition to the mental anguish caused to us from the confiscation of our drums and pots in the Balfour complex.”They added at the end, “P.S., Studying Persian wasn’t easy for us.” They then asked for a recommended Persian font to use on posters ahead of Saturday evening’s protests.Protesters additionally expressed anger with Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, protesting in front of his home, as well, with signs that read, “We are disappointed in you.”“Gantz, who sits today in the government, did not stand up to Bibi and the Likud,” Agmon said. “He didn’t say to stop with this incitement. I am not managing to understand this. I cannot understand why Gabi Ashkenazi has not said this, either.”
