Veterans and veterans' families march through the streets of Tel Aviv, many carrying Israeli flags with modifications, as part of an ongoing protest movement in support of saving Israeli democracy.
For some, like Yiftach Golov, former special forces reconnaissance unit soldier turned veteran, joining the cause has become a matter of life or death. With protests showing no signs of slowing down, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of a pause on the legislation pending for weeks now, protesters are still pouring onto streets in vast numbers.
Golov attributes his participation to the sense of shared purpose among soldiers who have seen something go terribly wrong. He believes that they must be part of something bigger than themselves and willing to sacrifice anything required in order to protect what they believe is at stake: Israel's democracy, which he says has been dwindling in recent years.
The Israeli protest movement brings together disparate groups but is made more compelling by the support of veterans like Golov. Many are now putting skills learned in military life into the fight for justice and liberty. It has also drawn some former soldiers to become prominent organizers and demonstrators within this social upheaval.
For some, like Yiftach Golov, former special forces reconnaissance unit soldier turned veteran, joining the cause has become a matter of life or death. With protests showing no signs of slowing down, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of a pause on the legislation pending for weeks now, protesters are still pouring onto streets in vast numbers.
Golov attributes his participation to the sense of shared purpose among soldiers who have seen something go terribly wrong. He believes that they must be part of something bigger than themselves and willing to sacrifice anything required in order to protect what they believe is at stake: Israel's democracy, which he says has been dwindling in recent years.
The Israeli protest movement brings together disparate groups but is made more compelling by the support of veterans like Golov. Many are now putting skills learned in military life into the fight for justice and liberty. It has also drawn some former soldiers to become prominent organizers and demonstrators within this social upheaval.
. These veterans are fighting for something that's really important - democracy 
. I can feel the sense of urgency from Golov, he's not just protesting because it's cool to do 
, but because it's his duty as a soldier and a patriot 
. I admire how they're all coming together, despite their differences 
. It's like they're saying "we've been through this together, let's stand up for what we believe in" 
. This is huge, not just for Israel, but for the world 
. We should all be supporting them in any way we can 
.
! I mean, it's amazing to see veterans coming together to fight for something they truly believe in – Israel's democracy 
. I think this movement is a great example of how technology can bring people together 
. I'm rooting for these guys all the way 
!
. I mean, who wouldn't want to fight for their democracy? It's like, if someone took away your Netflix password, you'd be pretty upset too, right? 
But seriously, it's awesome that these veterans are using their skills to make a difference – I guess you could say they're 're-deploying' their experience in a good way 
. And who knows, maybe this is the start of something big? After all, as the saying goes, 'you can't have your cake and eat it too', but I think these protesters are trying to make the government give them a bigger slice of the pie 
. What's scary is that protests aren't showing any signs of slowing down... I hope PM Netanyahu's pause announcement makes a real difference 
.
All this marching around can't be good for the country, you feel? It's just gonna divide people more. And what's with the flag thing? If they want to show support, can't they just put a sticker on it or something? Make it less... militant? 
I'm all about freedom of speech and all that, but come on, can't we just have a calm discussion without all this drama? 
. It's also wild to see how the protests have drawn in people from all over, regardless of background or party affiliation...this is what I call real social change 
!
) where vets became a powerful voice for justice. The fact that they're using their experience to fight for something bigger than themselves is truly inspiring 
it's crazy that veterans are taking a stand like this - they've seen some pretty harsh stuff in their time, right? 
. For me, this is all about standing up for what you believe in and fighting for a cause that matters 
... but I guess we'll keep marching on till something changes 