Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been challenged by many political foes in recent months, but he may be about to face his most formidable opponents yet – incensed mothers.
Armed with loudspeakers, red paint and fuelled by righteous anger, mothers of the country’s war-weary soldiers have begun taking to the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to demand the government bring their children home from a conflict they no longer see the purpose of.
They have demonstrated in front of the defence minister’s home and are often seen at the forefront of major anti-government rallies, sometimes covering themselves in red to denote soldiers’ spilled blood.
Janna, a mother who currently has three adult sons serving in the combat zone, explained that in the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, parents backed military action as a tragic necessity.
“We all felt as Israeli citizens it is a war that we have no choice but to fight for our existence, for our survival,” she said.
“Of course, we were very concerned as every parent would be but when we sent our children to the fight, we knew that this was something where we had no choice.” |