Hundreds of thousands of Israelis join largest recent rallies on behalf of Gaza hostages
(JTA) — Hundreds of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv on Sunday at the end of a day of demonstrations around the country to call for the release of 50 hostages held in Gaza.
Demonstrations took place in at least 200 locations, and some municipalities and employers shut down completely in response to a call from hostage families for a general strike. The country’s largest labor coalition did not join in the strike, saying it did not think a strike could influence the government’s decisions around the war in Gaza.
Still, the demonstrations were among the largest ever against the war, and they gave voice to the 80% of Israelis whom polls show want to see Netanyahu make a deal with Hamas to bring all the hostages home. Organizers said 1 million people — more than 10% of the population — had participated during the day, including half a million at the Tel Aviv rally featuring several family members of hostages. Police said they had arrested dozens of demonstrators.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged against demonstrating, saying that the protests emboldened Hamas and actually make it less likely that the hostages, of whom 20 are thought to be alive, would ever go free. The vast majority of hostages released since Hamas took about 250 on Oct. 7, 2023, have gained their freedom through negotiations.
Sa’ar announces visa restrictions on Australian officials
(JNS) — Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced retaliatory measures against Canberra on Monday, following Australia’s announcement last week that it plans to recognize a Palestinian state in September, and its refusal earlier in the day to grant a visa to Religious Zionism lawmaker Simcha Rothman.
Sa’ar also cited the case of former Israeli justice minister Ayelet Shaked, who was denied entry to Australia last November, as well as those of other Israeli figures.
He said that visas for Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority had been revoked, and that he had instructed Israel’s embassy in Canberra to closely scrutinize any future visa requests from Australian officials.
“While antisemitism is raging in Australia, including manifestations of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions, the Australian government is choosing to fuel it by false accusations, as if the visit of Israeli figures will disrupt public order and harm Australia’s Muslim population. It is shameful and unacceptable!” Sa’ar wrote on social media.
Israel bars entry to Barcelona mayor
(JNS) — Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority announced on Friday that Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni had been denied entry into Israel, hours before his scheduled arrival.
In a statement, the Interior Ministry confirmed that the move was made “in accordance with the Entry to Israel Law and in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Council.”
The decision followed a series of anti-Israel statements by Collboni in recent months, as well as a resolution passed by Barcelona’s city council in May to “sever ties with Israel.”
“The suffering and death in Gaza over the past year and a half and recent attacks by the Israeli government make any relationship unviable,” Collboni told the council.
The city council also suspended its 1998 friendship agreement with Tel Aviv-Jaffa “until respect for international law is restored and the basic rights of Palestinians are respected.” And it instructed the Port of Barcelona and trade show organizer Fira de Barcelona not to host Israeli pavilions or companies involved in weapons trade or profiting from Israel’s war against Hamas.
The mayor had planned to visit Yad Vashem in Jerusalem and meet with officials in the Palestinian Authority during his trip. The Catalan Spanish newspaper Ara reported that he had been invited by the mayors of Bethlehem and Ramallah.
France: Park manager denies entry to 150 Israeli children
(JNS) — The manager of Parcours aérien Tyrovol, an outdoor adventure facility known for its aerial zipline course and located near Porté-Puymorens, southern France, refused entry to 150 Israelis aged 8 to 16, French media reported on Thursday, citing the Perpignan Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The group booked its visit “a long time ago,” but the manager blocked the youngsters’ entry citing his “personal convictions.”
The manager was taken into police custody on suspicion of “discrimination based on religion in the provision of goods or services,” an offense that carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
“Who will be able to find the words to explain to [the children] the hatred that forbids them entry to a leisure park?” wrote Yonathan Arfi, president of CRIF, the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions.
“This act is not a critique of policy but an expression of violent hatred toward Israel, using a conflict 3,000 kilometers away as a pretext to discriminate against children,” he added. “The punishment must be exemplary.”
Earlier this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron declaring that his intention to recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly in September “pours fuel” on the fire of antisemitism.
