In the streets of Tel Aviv, a sea of Israeli flags waves in the wind as veterans from elite forces take up the cause of saving Israeli democracy. Among them is Yiftach Golov, a veteran who once served in special forces reconnaissance unit during the second intifada and now finds himself fighting for justice and liberty alongside thousands of others.
Golov's story is not unique - many veterans have joined the protest movement against Israel's judicial overhaul plan, which would give the governing parties more control over Israel's judiciary. These veterans bring their military skills to the protests, using tactics such as organizing and mobilizing to make a difference.
But what drives them? For Golov, it's about reclaiming the flag of Israel - a symbol that represents values of justice and liberty that he believes have been lacking in Israeli democracy for decades. "We're fighting for justice and liberty, just like the American story," he says. "That's the values that are being represented on our flag, something that was lacking for the last few decades."
As Golov speaks, fellow members of his group - wearing brown shirts with the organization's logo - gather around him, their faces filled with determination. One of them is even leading a group of coordinated drummers known as the "Pink Front," who lead chants at the protests.
The pressure from Israel's veterans has been seen as a key factor in moving the needle on the protest movement. Last Monday, after weeks of sustained protests and the largest general strike in Israeli history, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a pause to the legislation, citing concerns about security.
But despite the announcement, protesters are still out in the streets in large numbers. CNN estimated that Saturday's demonstration in Tel Aviv had around 150,000 people - although organizers claimed it was 230,000.
Netanyahu has indicated that the delay is only temporary, insisting that the overhaul is necessary and criticizing those who refuse to train or serve in the military for protesting at the planned changes. "Refusing is the end of our country," he said.
Many protesters don't believe the pause is real, seeing it as a stalling tactic to give Netanyahu breathing room before plowing on with the reforms. For Golov and his fellow veterans, however, the pause gives them hope - hope that Israel can become a functional democratic country once more.
"We will start doing deactivation only when we will know 100% that Israel state will stay a functional democratic country," Golov says. The fight for democracy is far from over in Israel - but with the military veterans leading the charge, there's no doubt that the protests will continue until their demands are met.
Golov's story is not unique - many veterans have joined the protest movement against Israel's judicial overhaul plan, which would give the governing parties more control over Israel's judiciary. These veterans bring their military skills to the protests, using tactics such as organizing and mobilizing to make a difference.
But what drives them? For Golov, it's about reclaiming the flag of Israel - a symbol that represents values of justice and liberty that he believes have been lacking in Israeli democracy for decades. "We're fighting for justice and liberty, just like the American story," he says. "That's the values that are being represented on our flag, something that was lacking for the last few decades."
As Golov speaks, fellow members of his group - wearing brown shirts with the organization's logo - gather around him, their faces filled with determination. One of them is even leading a group of coordinated drummers known as the "Pink Front," who lead chants at the protests.
The pressure from Israel's veterans has been seen as a key factor in moving the needle on the protest movement. Last Monday, after weeks of sustained protests and the largest general strike in Israeli history, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a pause to the legislation, citing concerns about security.
But despite the announcement, protesters are still out in the streets in large numbers. CNN estimated that Saturday's demonstration in Tel Aviv had around 150,000 people - although organizers claimed it was 230,000.
Netanyahu has indicated that the delay is only temporary, insisting that the overhaul is necessary and criticizing those who refuse to train or serve in the military for protesting at the planned changes. "Refusing is the end of our country," he said.
Many protesters don't believe the pause is real, seeing it as a stalling tactic to give Netanyahu breathing room before plowing on with the reforms. For Golov and his fellow veterans, however, the pause gives them hope - hope that Israel can become a functional democratic country once more.
"We will start doing deactivation only when we will know 100% that Israel state will stay a functional democratic country," Golov says. The fight for democracy is far from over in Israel - but with the military veterans leading the charge, there's no doubt that the protests will continue until their demands are met.
like, these veterans are literally fighting for whats right and Netanyahu is trying to push them aside 
it just shows how out of touch he is with the people. Golov's story is so inspiring 
, he's not just a veteran, hes a symbol of hope for what Israel could be like if its leaders actually listened to the ppl 
i mean 150k ppl showing up in tel aviv is huge btw 
we need more ppl to stand up and demand change. this pause thingy might seem like a win but let's not forget that Netanyahu is just trying to buy time 
Yiftach Golov's story is super inspiring, he's not just some dude with a flag waving around, he's actually got experience fighting for justice and liberty during the second intifada 
I mean, I know some ppl think it's all gonna get pushed back but I'm holding out hope that this pause is actually a sign of something bigger happening 
these vets are the real MVPs right now, leading the charge and refusing to give up even when things seem bleak 
. I mean, sure, it's cool to see them using their skills to organize and mobilize the crowd, but what about when it comes down to actual decision-making? Are they just going to follow orders from the government or are they actually going to push for real change? 
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so i was just thinking about how awesome its gonna be if israel actually becomes a functional democracy again lol i mean we've been seeing these pics of soldiers and veterans protesting against this judicial overhaul plan and i gotta say i'm low-key inspired by them 
It's gonna be interesting to see if they can keep that momentum going. Some people think it's just a stalling tactic, but Golov and his crew seem genuinely committed to reforming Israel's democracy. 
They're totally repping their country and fighting for what they believe in 
. And I love how Yiftach Golov says "we're reclaiming the flag" - it's like he's taking back what's rightfully his 
.
also, I'm not buying that 100k+ people showed up in Tel Aviv. where's the proof? satellite pics or something? 
and btw, why aren't we hearing more about the economic impact of this overhaul on ordinary Israelis vs just the gov's perspective? 
u guys are gonna freak out when they find out that israel's judicial overhaul plan could lead to a constitutional crisis 
it's like the government is trying to dismantle all the checks and balances that are meant to keep them in check 
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The vets are like, "Hey, we're fighting for democracy, not just waving flags around," but I guess that's what makes it so great. 150,000 people showing up to protest is no joke! That's like, more than the number of memes on Reddit today 
I'm not really sure why all these Israeli vets are getting involved in politics. They're like super smart and strong people who fought for this country, and now they just wanna keep fighting? It seems kinda weird to me. Like, what's the deal with them being against the law changes? Is it because they don't think it'll make Israel safer or something?
its like they're tryna dismantle whats left of israeli democracy . but u know what? i think its cool that vets like yiftach golov are takin the lead in protest movement, using their military skills 2 make a difference. gotta respect dat 
[GIF of a group of protesters running towards the camera, waving flags and shouting]
[Image of John Cena flexing his muscles, with a "veteran power" symbol overlaid on top]
[GIF of a stock market graph going down, with a red "down arrow" symbol]
[Image of a broken heart, with the words "Israeli democracy in shambles?" written above it]
[GIF of a single star shining bright, surrounded by other stars]
The fact that protests continue despite a temporary pause in the legislation suggests that many protesters remain skeptical of Netanyahu's intentions and will press on until their demands are met. 
. The Pink Front drummers are so fierce tho! 
Anyway, gotta give props to Golov and the others though - they're speaking truth to power and standing up for what they think is right 
.
150k+ people showing up in Tel Aviv on Sat was lit, btw 
. Not just some watered-down version of "democracy" that sounds good on paper but doesn't actually mean anything in practice