This morning, Efrat Fenigson, a prominent Israeli human rights activist and chief marketing officer, spoke with me in her car, whilst converging with a convoy (one of 40) heading to Jerusalem. This Valentine’s Day, bridges across Israel are expected to be lined with supporters, cheering on an estimate of 20,000 trucks and other vehicles, as they make their way to the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, to demand an end to all Covid restrictions and mandates in the country.
Needless to say, Israel’s Freedom Convoy, has been inspired by the unprecedented protests going on in Ottawa, Canada and along critical bridges across the US-Canada border, led by salt of the earth truckers, demanding the freedoms back for all Canadians, after two years of draconian Covid restrictions and mandates.
Fenigson spoke about the misleading way in which the Israeli media are covering the freedom convoy. They have chosen to disempower the movement by not accurately reporting that its about the demand for basic freedoms being restored to all Israeli citizens. Instead, they have chosen to spin it as a protest arising from increased costs of living.
Fenigson highlighted the six goals the organisers of the Freedom Convoy want to achieve:
- The termination of the government’s Covid policies
- The return to normalcy for all Israeli citizens
- The opening up of all businesses
- Full transparency in the disclosure of all government contracts and protocols- including the infamous Pfizer Covid vaccine contract.
- Respect for indivdual privacy (arising from the scandal of the government and police using the spy software, Pegasus, to spy on ordinary citizens)
- Reaffirmation that all human beings are equal and have constitutional rights
A sum of $35,000 has been raised in a short space of time for the protestors. Many have brought tents and mattresses, with the intention of staying in front of the Knesset for many days.
Only time will tell, if the Freedom Convoy in Israel will bring about any meaningful change in government policy. It is worth noting, given the unforeseen success of the Canadian truckers and their supporters in drawing the world’s attention to the two-year attack on their basic freedoms- the Israeli Freedom Convoy stands a good chance.
This appeared on Sonia Elijah’s Newsletter on February 14, 2022, and is republished by kind permission,
