Relatives of fallen soldiers and casualties of terrorism demonstrated outside the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Tuesday against Blue and White's intention to seek the help of the Joint Arab List to establish a minority government.
The demonstrators intend to continue their protest until next week at least, when representatives of all the political parties in Israel are scheduled to hold meetings with President Reuven Rivlin prior to his deciding which MK he will appoint to form the next government.
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Meirav Hajaj, the mother of the late Lt. Shir Hajaj, who was murdered in a car-ramming attack at the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem in 2017, was among the demonstrators.
Hajaj said, "We are crying out to the president, but mainly to the members of Blue and White. Anyone who considers themselves a Zionist party can't form a government that rests on support from the Joint Arab List."
"Three [former] chiefs of staff who were fully confident in giving our children orders are setting up a government with supporters of terrorism, who support the murder of soldiers. That makes no sense. To me, it seems absurd. I can't accept it. This makes something unacceptable palatable, and it mustn't be done under any circumstances."
Hajaj stressed she urged every Knesset member to read the Joint Arab List's party platform before agreeing to join them in a governing coalition: "They don't hide the fact that they don't want a Jewish state," she said.
"They won't relinquish terrorism and are encouraging the people who murder our children. It's not a party issue. We're speaking out of pain and fear for the existence of our country as a Jewish state. We met with Chili Tropper, who told us he understood how we felt and backed us up.
"We also met with Yoaz Hendel, who told us there would be no government that didn't fight terrorism," Hajaj continued.
"We are planning another round of meetings with the people from Blue and White to keep them from forming a government that depends on supporters of terrorism," she said.
Shimon Golovenchich, whose son David was killed on an operation in Hebron in 2017, said, "They should benefit from their crimes? There cannot be a government with people who stand behind our children's murderers … This is crossing a red line. It is unacceptable and inconceivable."
Golovenchich said, "We represent the voice of sanity in Israel. Everyone identifies with us."
Yehudit Dasberg, whose daughter and son-in-law were killed in a terrorist shooting near Kfar Menachem, also took part in one of the demonstrations outside the President's Residence, saying, "It's the most absurd thing, forming a government with people who define themselves as enemies of the state of Israel. It's a loss of all proportions. [Joint Arab List head] Ayman Odeh supporters murderers. [Blue and White] lost the plot if they join murderers of Jews. That can't happen. Joining forces with Ayman Odeh is treason against the state of Israel."
