Hundreds of Israelis took to the streets of London this weekend to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's controversial programme of judicial reforms.
Police estimates put the number of attendees at Sunday’s demonstration at approximately 1,500 people, with organiser Sharon Shochat telling the JC she believed there were probably even more British Jews than Israelis present.
“The day was amazing, and it was definitely the best event we have organised,” Shochat said. “The atmosphere was one of hope and determination; the coming together of Jewish people of all backgrounds.”
Young people were also well represented, with “members of youth movements coming from all over the country,” according to Shochat.
Thank you @AlmogMika, @harari_yuval, @RabCharley, @RabbiJeremy, @UJS_PRES and @GolanFake — for speaking at our Trafalgar Sq. event today!
— Defend Israeli Democracy UK (@defendisraeluk) September 10, 2023
And thanks to the 1500 people who showed up to Take a Stand! pic.twitter.com/iJw7lcOote
Addressing the crowd, Israeli author Yuval Noah Harari drew gasps as he accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to turn Israel “into a second Iran”.
The Sapiens author warned: “If Israel becomes a dictatorship ruled by messianic zealots, it will not only intensify the oppression of Palestinians but could set fire to the entire region.
“Western democracies might have to contend with a new fundamentalist regime in the Middle East armed with nuclear weapons and advanced cyber-weapons.”
Harari further claimed: “What is happening in Israel is a decisive historical event that will shape Judaism for generations to come,” adding that Netanyahu’s coalition wished “to abandon Jewish traditions of tolerance and compassion, and invent a new Judaism, committed to the ideology of Jewish Supremacy.”
“The Netanyahu coalition has forgotten everything Jews have learned for 2,000 years,” Harari said. “And instead, it discovers what the Babylonians and Romans knew already 2,000 years ago – the dark ecstasy of crushing other people underfoot.”
The ever eloquent @harari_yuval:
— Defend Israeli Democracy UK (@defendisraeluk) September 10, 2023
“If you are still confused by the situation, there is just one key question you should ask: what limits the power of the government? In Israel we have a single check: the Supreme Court.”
1,500 in London’s biggest Israeli pro-democracy protest 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/M0drumKsCU
Shochat said the ongoing protests are meant to achieve two primary things: “Firstly, to make it clear to Israelis protesting on the streets in Israel – who are exhausted and losing hope – that they have the backing of the Jewish diaspora and Israelis outside the country. It has a tremendous impact when they see images of support coming from iconic places like Trafalgar Square or New York City.
“Secondly, protesting sends an important message to the other camp that their efforts will eventually fail. It shows that Jews worldwide, and anybody who cares about democracy more generally, are willing to stand up for values that are worth fighting for.”
Since March, Defend Israeli Democracy UK, the local arm of the movement, have organised numerous demonstrations in London, including sieging the Savoy Hotel during Netanyahu's visit to the UK and while Arnon Milchan gave testimony in Brighton during the PM's corruption trial.
