Rehavia resident describes experience of living with constant protests as a “nightmare.”
By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News Staff
A resident of Jerusalem’s Rehavia neighborhood has speaken out after years of raucous protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies have made parts of her community nearly unlivable.
Protesters frequently demonstrate in front of the premier’s residence on Gaza Street, holding noisy demonstrations that have turned chaotic and violent.
Dr. Efrat Ben, who has lived in the upscale neighborhood for more than a decade, told the Hebrew-language outlet Kipa that the demonstrations, which show no signs of stopping soon, have seriously disrupted the lives of Rehavia residents.
Ben described the experience of living with constant protests as a “nightmare.” She said protesters have frequently cursed her, believing that due to her religious appearance, she is a supporter of Netanyahu.
Spontaneous roadblocks, bonfires, fireworks, physical clashes between protesters and police, and relentless noise have become almost daily events in the neighborhood.
Because demonstrators frequently sit in the roads and large protests spill into the streets and the police often block off access to the premier’s residence, public transportation is adversely affected in Rehavia.
“The moment Gaza Street, a major transportation route, is blocked, the neighborhood is affected. Ambulances can’t get through, elderly residents must walk long distances with heavy shopping baskets, and parents are forced to carry sick children for miles in their arms,” Ben told Kipa.
Ben, an educational psychologist, said she was forced to cancel an appointment with a suicidal client due to traffic disruptions caused by protesters. “I simply couldn’t get to her,” Ben recounted.
The justice system is not taking criminal activity by demonstrators seriously, she charged.
She recalled an incident in which a protester hurled a flammable object at a horse-mounted police officer. The horse’s tail caught fire and the perpetrator was arrested, “but was released by the court just a few hours later,” Ben told Kipa.
Ben stressed that recognizes the demonstrators’ right to protest, but said that the authorities should place restrictions on protests within the neighborhood.
“Expressing a position is legitimate, but there should be limits; fixed hours, reasonable noise, no blocking of roads,” Ben said. “Today, it has become lawlessness.”