Israel Police Tell Anti-war Protesters: 'No Photos of Gazan Children'
Haaretz | Israel News
Israel Police barred protest organizers from holding photos of Gazan children or using the word 'genocide,' despite prior assurances to the High Court that it would allow 'controversial' signs
Josh Breiner
Apr 20, 2025 11:05 pm IDT
Israel Police conditioned approval for an anti-war protest this coming Thursday in Tel Aviv on the requirement that "no images of children or babies from Gaza" be displayed.
According to a document sent on Sunday by the police to the Arab-Jewish movement Standing Together, which is organizing the protest, demonstrators are prohibited from displaying signs, posters, or flags that "incite to violent or illegal activity."
The document, obtained by Haaretz, also states that participants are forbidden from displaying "hostage signs" (apparently referring to posters with images of hostages) or signs bearing the phrase "genocide."
This is the first time in recent months that police have issued such a document to protest organizers. In the past, the police have repeatedly assured the High Court of Justice that they would allow the display of what they termed "provocative" signs, particularly those calling to end the war in Gaza or claiming that Israel is committing genocide there.
In May, responding to a petition from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the police stated that displaying such signs is legal and that "the officer in charge on the ground is not instructed to limit the content of the protest or the content of signs being held."
Nevertheless, despite many internal directives to regional commanders, the police continue to act contrary to their official guidelines and the opinion of their legal adviser. Officers are preventing the display of signs that the police deem inflammatory and sometimes confiscate such signs. Last week, officers even assaulted protesters holding similar signs at demonstrations in Haifa and Jerusalem.
Standing Together movement responded, saying, "The police's actions show that it is political," adding that the police "are censoring messages in protests against the war and the government."
According to the movement, "Since Netanyahu chose to collapse the cease-fire deal in order to allow [National Security Minister] Ben-Gvir to return to the coalition, the release of the hostages from Hamas captivity has been halted, and many Palestinian children have died."
Israel Police barred protest organizers from holding photos of Gazan children or using the word 'genocide,' despite prior assurances to the High Court that it would allow 'controversial' signs
Josh Breiner
Apr 20, 2025 11:05 pm IDT
Israel Police conditioned approval for an anti-war protest this coming Thursday in Tel Aviv on the requirement that "no images of children or babies from Gaza" be displayed.
According to a document sent on Sunday by the police to the Arab-Jewish movement Standing Together, which is organizing the protest, demonstrators are prohibited from displaying signs, posters, or flags that "incite to violent or illegal activity."
The document, obtained by Haaretz, also states that participants are forbidden from displaying "hostage signs" (apparently referring to posters with images of hostages) or signs bearing the phrase "genocide."
This is the first time in recent months that police have issued such a document to protest organizers. In the past, the police have repeatedly assured the High Court of Justice that they would allow the display of what they termed "provocative" signs, particularly those calling to end the war in Gaza or claiming that Israel is committing genocide there.
In May, responding to a petition from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the police stated that displaying such signs is legal and that "the officer in charge on the ground is not instructed to limit the content of the protest or the content of signs being held."
Nevertheless, despite many internal directives to regional commanders, the police continue to act contrary to their official guidelines and the opinion of their legal adviser. Officers are preventing the display of signs that the police deem inflammatory and sometimes confiscate such signs. Last week, officers even assaulted protesters holding similar signs at demonstrations in Haifa and Jerusalem.
Standing Together movement responded, saying, "The police's actions show that it is political," adding that the police "are censoring messages in protests against the war and the government."
According to the movement, "Since Netanyahu chose to collapse the cease-fire deal in order to allow [National Security Minister] Ben-Gvir to return to the coalition, the release of the hostages from Hamas captivity has been halted, and many Palestinian children have died."
