Israeli army, backbone of the Protested Movement, sworn to demonstrate

Tel Aviv
CNN
–

In the sea of ​​Israeli flag Izdach, Goal is holding the one that looks a little different.

Among the hundreds of thousands of protesters that ordained the streets of 13. Sunday in a row, goals hosts brown flag that represents a group called “brother and sisters in weapons”.

They are veterans – many, like goals, from elite forces – who now feel like fighting on the new battlefield: to save Israeli democracy.

“We believe it is our responsibility to once again call this madness to defend Israel,” Golov said, because he tked through the street in Kaplanska Tel Aviv, between high technological companies from Israeli.

During the second intifade, in the early 2000s, Golov served in a special forces reconnaissance. He has never been especially political, focusing more on getting a doctorate in biophysics with Tel Aviv University.

But when a protest movement against the Judicial Plan of the Israeli government began in January, Goal has taken one of the thousands of veterans soon, and now are military reservists, who took the cause as their new mission.

Some, including elite reservists air force, have taken him a step further, threatening to train or even serve in the protest of government plans that planned judicial changes, which the governments would give the ruling parties more control of the superstrus’s judiciary.

Others took some of the most active organizers and demonstrators. Last week, a group from brothers and sisters in weapons protested carrying a figure wrapped in the Israeli flag on the stretches, which would wear wounded friends from the field.

While Golov says he didn’t take a drastic step to reject the service, he understands motivation.

“We fight for justice and freedom, just like an American story, these are the values ​​that is represented by symbolized when we look at our flag, it lacks the last few decades. We are basically, we said that he said that he said that.

Group members, all wear brown T-shirts with the organization logo, show up and greet. They went all over to the whole in the protests. One is even the leading “Pink Front”, a group of coordinated drumsticks that look like they are dressed for raves and often lead chantes on protests.

They use the skills they learned in the military – how to organize, how to mobilize – now for protests. But more importantly, they say they have the same type of motivation.

“A very deep feeling that you are part of something more than you, that it is (you) allowed to sacrifice everything you need, whether it is your career, health, serious mental health,” Golov said. “We all have a mission, you are willing to do this at any price. You are very determined, you know that you are on the right, you are running out of light. It continues to be highly motivated despite the fact that we do not sleep for days.”

Israeli Protest Movement consists of many different groups, but the pressure from Israel’s large veterans are considered a key to move the needle.

Last Monday, after weeks of lasting protests and the greatest general strike in Israeli history, Prime Minister Benjamin Netaniah announced a break about legislation, in order to enable time for negotiations with the opposition.

But despite the announcements, protesters are still on the streets in large numbers. CNN Affiliate Channel 12 in Israel estimated the size of the Sabbath demonstration in Tel Aviv to about 150,000 people. The organizers claimed that 230,000.

Last year’s mass protests and widespread strike have arrived after Netaniah to delay the Defense Minister Iow’s delays in making legislation – a move setinahu postponed, due to the “current security situation”.

In her television speech, Galtant said that the break was needed “for the security of Israel” as quoted by the refusal of some of the defense defense defensions of reserves to train in the protest of government plans. He said pressing the front with proposals could jeopardize Israel’s safety.

Under pressure at home and ally abroad, Netaniah said he would delay the votes on the remaining legislation until the passer of Klesset in April “to give time for the right mail for the actual discussion.”

“Responsibility at the nation, I decided to put off … Voting, to give time for discussion,” he added.

But Netaniah indicated that the delay is only temporary. He insisted that the overhaul was necessary and reiterated criticism of rejection to train or serve in the military in protest on planned changes. “The refusal is the end of our country,” he said.

Many demonstrators do not believe that break is real or say that it is simply stopping to give Netanya breathing room and to go home before doubling the reforms.

“We’ll start with deactivation only when we will know 100% that the Israeli state will remain a functional democratic country. Whatever it should be done,” Golov said.