In Jerusalem, hundreds of supporters and family members of hostages held in Gaza are lining up in a human chain stretching from the Prime Minister’s Office to the Knesset, with the aim of speaking to Knesset members as they arrive for budget votes.
Some family members of hostages slept in tents set up along Eliezer Kaplan Street, after marching with torches to the Knesset last night.
“This helps,” says Tomer Aloni, pointing to the human chain. Aloni’s cousin, Tsahi Idan, was abducted by Hamas terrorists from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz, after his eldest daughter, Maayan, was killed in the family’s safe room.
He says the chain also gives a morale boost to Idan’s wife and two surviving children.
“Everything helps, every sign, every picture you see in Israel and abroad, and the connections to anyone who can help,” he says.
The human chain is organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which plans on remaining outside the Knesset on Wednesday until midday, “even in the rain,” says an organizer.
“We want answers from the government,” says Aloni.
Lawmakers are set to approve a budget for 2024 and an update to the 2023 budget. The latter allocates extra money to the war and recovery effort, but will also free up hundreds of millions of shekels for special interests unconnected to the national emergency, such as settlements and Haredi education, critics say.
As reported by The Times of Israel