The backbone of Israeli protest movement, veterans from elite forces, are vowing to keep demonstrating against the government's judicial overhaul plan. The group, known as "Brother and Sisters in Arms," consists of hundreds of thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets for the 13th week in a row.
At the forefront of this movement is Yiftach Golov, a veteran from a special forces reconnaissance unit who served during the second intifada. Golov, who holds one flag that looks slightly different from the others - a brown flag representing the group, says he has been motivated by a sense of duty to defend Israel's democracy.
"We believe this is our responsibility to go once again called to the flag of the nation to stop this madness and defend Israel," Golov said.
Other members of the group have taken to organizing demonstrations, using their military training to mobilize protesters. The pressure from these veterans has been seen as a key factor in the Israeli government's decision to pause the legislation.
However, many protesters are skeptical that the delay is genuine or believe it's just a stalling tactic to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu some breathing room before pushing forward with the reforms.
"We will start doing deactivation only when we will know 100% that Israel state will stay a functional democratic country," Golov said.
The situation remains tense, with protesters continuing to take to the streets in large numbers. The Knesset's Passover recess has been scheduled for April, and Netanyahu has indicated that he plans to vote on the remaining legislation during this time.
At the forefront of this movement is Yiftach Golov, a veteran from a special forces reconnaissance unit who served during the second intifada. Golov, who holds one flag that looks slightly different from the others - a brown flag representing the group, says he has been motivated by a sense of duty to defend Israel's democracy.
"We believe this is our responsibility to go once again called to the flag of the nation to stop this madness and defend Israel," Golov said.
Other members of the group have taken to organizing demonstrations, using their military training to mobilize protesters. The pressure from these veterans has been seen as a key factor in the Israeli government's decision to pause the legislation.
However, many protesters are skeptical that the delay is genuine or believe it's just a stalling tactic to give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu some breathing room before pushing forward with the reforms.
"We will start doing deactivation only when we will know 100% that Israel state will stay a functional democratic country," Golov said.
The situation remains tense, with protesters continuing to take to the streets in large numbers. The Knesset's Passover recess has been scheduled for April, and Netanyahu has indicated that he plans to vote on the remaining legislation during this time.
I'm literally freaking out over here thinking about these brave men & women who are putting their lives on hold to fight for Israel's democracy!!! 
Yiftach Golov is my HERO (no cap) for speaking truth to power like that... "stop this madness" can't be said enough! 
I mean, can you even imagine being a part of something so important, so critical to the future of your country? It's mind-boggling. And what really gets me is how they're not just fighting for themselves, but for all those who feel silenced or ignored. 
These veterans are putting their lives on hold and still finding time to organize & mobilize protests... that takes courage, friends! 
I'm so done with this whole situation, though - it's been going on for weeks now and there just needs to be a resolution already 
I think it's awesome that these vets are stepping up and taking a stand against the gov't's judicial overhaul plan 
It's mind-blowing to see how much pressure they've put on the gov't to pause the legislation 
Who wouldn't want to defend their country's democracy? 
My only concern is that some protesters might be skeptical about whether this delay is for real or just a tactic to buy more time 
Either way, I'm all for keeping the protests going until we get a functional democratic Israel 
they're literally putting their lives on the line to defend israel's democracy... like seriously can't give enough props to ppl like yiftach golov who's out there risking it all 
Also, a quick glance at social media shows that the top three hashtags used are #JusticeForIsrael, #StandWithVeterans, and #DefendDemocracy 
According to recent polls, a whopping 65% of Israelis support the protesters' stance against the judicial overhaul plan! 
Meanwhile, on Twitter, there's been a significant spike in mentions of @YiftachGolov since his statement - who knew he'd become an overnight sensation? 
As for Netanyahu's plans to push forward with the reforms, it remains to be seen how this will impact voter turnout during the April Knesset recess. Will 55% of eligible voters turn out to cast their ballots in protest? 
Only time (and possibly a lot more data) will tell! 
. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out in the end 
. Like, they're literally risking their freedom & safety for what they believe in. It's crazy how much dedication they have - Yiftach Golov, the leader of this movement, is all about defending Israel's democracy 
. I mean, who would've thought that a group of veterans from elite forces would be the ones pushing back against gov overreach? It's like they're saying: 'We've fought for our country, now it's time to fight for its values' 
I know some people are skeptical that the delay is genuine, but hey, maybe this pause is exactly what we needed to take a closer look at this whole overhaul plan. Fingers crossed that it's not just a clever ploy by Netanyahu... but for now, let's keep the faith and see where this goes! 
. I mean, who needs checks and balances when you've got a strong leader like Netanyahu at the helm? The fact that these veterans are protesting it is just a bunch of old guys stuck in the past trying to hold onto power 
The gov't knows exactly what it's doing and is making some much-needed changes to keep Israel ahead of the curve 
. Bring on the reforms!