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Mother of hostage ‘horrified’ by chaotic anti-government protests, urges unity

“The demonstrations hurt the hostages and harm the security of the state,” says mother of slain captive.

By World Israel News Staff

The mother of a young man who was murdered on October 7th and whose body was kidnapped by an UNRWA employee to the Gaza Strip spoke out against protests last night in Tel Aviv, which began as a demonstration in favor of a hostage deal but quickly devolved into chaos.

Ayelet Samerano bemoaned what she called the increasing politization of protests aimed at pressuring the government into freeing the hostages.

The hostage protest movement was originally apolitical, but has now joined forces with the Kaplan organization and other left-wing groups that call for the ouster of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

During the Saturday evening demonstration, protesters clashed with police and illegally blocked traffic on nearby streets. Several people were arrested.

“I was horrified by everything that happened last night in [Hostages’ Square] in Tel Aviv. I was afraid of the chaos in the streets,” Samerano told Ynet. “We can’t be divided, and people refuse to realize that we need unity.”

“I’m not telling people not to protest because I’m ‘right-wing’, I’m telling them to take a breath and consider whether it’s appropriate to hold divisive demonstrations while Israel is at war,” she continued.

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Scenes of demonstrators scuffling with police, blocking major thoroughfares, and lighting bonfires on roads “are being broadcast on television screens, and that is being watched by our enemies.”

Samerano also said that some of the attendees appeared to be anti-government activists not particularly interested n the release of the captives, but who view the demonstrations as an opportunity to revive the pre-October 7th anti-government protests.

“Everyone who goes out to protest should understand the meaning” of a demonstration specifically aimed at freeing the hostages, she added.

“It’s not a way to pass the time, it’s not a meetup with your friends. The demonstrations hurt the abductees and harm the security of the state,” she stressed.

“It’s a terrible feeling [seeing the protests.] Where’s the thinking? The logic?”

“We’re still at war. We’ll have time for the elections as well, but every deal that’s coming is getting away from us. Hamas has all the time in the world, we don’t.”