Israel’s prime minister went back on an initial cancelation of his vacation in the North, instead opting to enter the moshav in the dead of night
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara were on Monday forced to sneak into the Golan Heights moshav of Neve Ativ in the dead of night to avoid the gathering of protesters.
The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement on Sunday announcing the supposed cancelation of the Netanyahus’ vacation after protesters said they would demonstrate upon the couple’s arrival to Neve Ativ.
That statement appeared to have been a ruse as Netanyahu and his wife were seen entering the Moshav late on Sunday night, according to Israeli reports.
In addition, the moshav published an open letter calling on the prime minister to cancel his vacation after protests held during the Netanyahus’ last stay in the Golan Heights moshav caused a “significant disruption to local residents’ daily lives,” as per the letter.
As protests marred Netanyahu’s August vacation, residents said they were unable to leave the house to go to work, buy medicine, or visit family members.
Protest signs torn in moshav as Netanyahu arrives
On Monday morning, protest organizers reported that they had found various signs placed across the moshav in anticipation of Netanyahu’s arrival were torn to shreds. Some of the signs torn included one that called for “resistance,” and another that read “to be free in our land,” a quote from the Israeli national anthem Hatikvah.
According to Israeli media, the Netanyahus are set to stay in Neve Ativ for six days, the duration of Sukkot’s Hol Hamoed days.
Protesters have reportedly begun organizing demonstrations against the prime minister during his stay in Israel’s North.
