With the Netanyahu government under American pressure to hold off from capturing Rafah, a coalition of bereaved parents aims to stiffen Bibi’s resolve in finishing off Hamas
But as seen in a demonstration outside the Knesset last week as the IDF prepared once again to go on the offensive, Israeli passivity has triggered a counter-movement from Bibi’s right flank, which aims to stiffen Netanyahu’s resolve to finish Hamas.
The so-called “Forum HaGvurah” — a group of about 150 families of fallen soldiers — is modest compared to the thousands who turn out weekly for marches demanding Netanyahu’s resignation and a hostage deal at any cost. But its significance goes beyond raw numbers; it represents a groundswell of public opinion that thinks that bowing to the Biden administration demands to halt the war endangers the country, and that the best way to release hostages is by massive military pressure on Hamas.
Yoshua Shani, a former senior IDF officer and father of Ori Mordechai, a soldier who was killed on October 7, is one of the Forum’s leaders.
“We came here to be the moral force of the people and tell the leaders that you work for us, not for Blinken or Biden, and you have to enter Rafah because that’s what the people expect,” Shani told Mishpacha. A day before the demonstration, Shani says, he had a face-to-face meeting with the prime minister. “Netanyahu reiterated his commitment to enter Rafah, and he himself told us that without entering Rafah, it’s not possible to defeat Hamas, but that he’s under pressure from the Americans.”
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