At least 17 people were arrested Saturday in Tel Aviv as Israeli police violently dispersed an antiwar protest against the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, despite a top court order allowing the demonstration. Peace activist Alon-Lee Green, an organizer who was detained, said public support for the war has rapidly declined. Similar protests took place in Haifa and Jerusalem.
Israeli police arrested at least 17 people during an antiwar protest in Tel Aviv on Saturday, where hundreds gathered to condemn the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Israel's top court had permitted the demonstration, but security forces dispersed it citing Iranian missile threats. Haaretz reported a missile from Yemen's Houthis triggered sirens in the city at the time, but police denied shelter to the detainees.
Alon-Lee Green, co-director of the Israeli-Palestinian group Standing Together and an event organizer, was arrested and released about seven hours later. In a Democracy Now! interview, Green said: "I think the Israeli public is waking up. A lot of people are angry. It’s been three years now of constant war." He described the conflict as a "forever war" initiated by Trump and Netanyahu, spanning Gaza, Lebanon, the West Bank, and Iran.
Green noted public support among Israeli Jews dropped from 90% to around 60% in five weeks, with protests growing to thousands. Demonstrators held photos of children killed in Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. During detention, as sirens sounded, police initially refused to allow access to a secure shelter.
Knesset member Ayman Odeh of Hadash-Ta’al backed the protesters, highlighting the violation of the court ruling. Green is also seeking a restraining order against right-wing extremists harassing him. Israel's Supreme Court will rule Thursday on protest rights amid security emergencies.
