ISRAEL-ELECTION/RALLY Tens of thousands of Israelis attend rally against Netanyahu

Record ID: 215628

  • Title: ISRAEL-ELECTION/RALLY Tens of thousands of Israelis attend rally against Netanyahu
  • Date: 7th March 2015
  • Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (MARCH 7, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE PUSHING BALLOON WITH ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER, BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, PICTURE ON IT AUDIENCE HOLDING BALLOONS CHILDREN SITTING ON GROUND BAND PLAYING ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) KIBBUTZ NIRIM RESIDENT, ANAT HEFETZ, SAYING: "I came here today because I live in Kibbutz Nirim on the Gaza border and we've been suffering from a ter
  • Embargoed: 22nd March 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACPV68LSSTKNK0TPB6YMYHQRZ6
  • Story Text: Tens of thousands gathered in Tel Aviv on Saturday (March 7) calling for the ouster of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the final stretch before a March 17 national election.
    Police gave no official figures, but Israeli media said about 30,000 people attended the rally, which was held under the banner "Israel wants a change."
    "Bibi, you've failed, go home," the demonstrators chanted, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
    Opinion polls show Netanyahu's right-wing Likud running neck-and-neck with rival Isaac Herzog, head of the centre-left Zionist Union, linked to the Labour party.
    Netanyahu, seeking a fourth term in office, is seen as having a slight advantage of more parliamentary allies in to form a coalition government. Latest polls have both Zionist Union and Likud winning 23 of the Knesset's seats.
    Netanyahu has focused his campaign on security issues and the Iranian nuclear programme and the demonstration organizers appeared to be challenging him on his home turf by featuring former Mossad chief Meir Dagan as the headline speaker.
    "For six years, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu has been serving as prime minister. Now it has been six years in which Israel has never been more stuck. In six years he has not lead one real move to change the region and to create a better future," Dagan said, accusing Netanyahu of failing in dealing with Iran and forfeiting Israel's interests for the sake of his own political survival by not pushing for a peace deal with the Palestinians.
    Kibbutz Nirim resident, Anat Hefetz, said that living on the borders near the Gaza Strip, where Israel and Hamas fought a 50-day war in the summer, made her realize how much they are in need of change.
    "I came here today because I live in Kibbutz Nirim on the Gaza border and we've been suffering from a terrible security situation for the last 15 years and we realize that something drastic needs to change in the policy of the Israeli government for us to have peace and security and a good future and it needs to start with the upcoming elections," Hefetz said.
    The co-founder of 'Million Hands', one of the campaigns that organized the rally, Guy Pross, said that they believe in people's need for change.
    "We've organized this demonstration in order to initiate real change as a major grassroots initiative in Israel. We believe that we need both change from defense perspective, political perspective, social perspective, and economic perspective. And we are a platform for the expression of the people's will to demand this change and to see a new government that acts in the field to make changes in all these areas," Pross said.
    U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, who seek a state in Gaza, East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, broke down in April and Israel has drawn international criticism for expanding its settlements in some of those territories.
    Israel and the West suspect Iran of using its civil nuclear program as a cover to develop a nuclear weapons capability, an allegation Teheran denies.
    U.S.-led international talks are underway to persuade Iran to restrain its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from sanctions that have crippled its economy.
    Netanyahu drew strong criticism from the Obama administration and in Israel for a speech he gave at the U.S. Congress on Tuesday where he lambasted the emerging deal. His opponents said he had damaged Israel's strategic alliance with Washington.
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