Nakba Day in 2011 was the annual day of commemoration for the Palestinian people marking the Nakba—the displacement that accompanied the creation of Israel in 1948. Generally held on May 15, commemorative events in 2011 began on May 10, in the form of march by Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel on Israel's Independence Day. On May 13, clashes between stone-throwing youths and Israeli security forces in East Jerusalem resulted in one Palestinian fatality, and clashes continued there and in parts of the West Bank in the days following.
The 2011 Israeli social justice protests, which are also referred to by various other names in the media, were a series of demonstrations in Israel beginning in July 2011 involving hundreds of thousands of protesters from a variety of socio-economic and religious backgrounds opposing the continuing rise in the cost of living and the deterioration of public services such as health and education. A common rallying cry at the demonstrations was the chant; "The people demand social justice!".
The following is a chronological summary of the major events that have been taking place during the 2011 Israeli social justice protests.
A series of protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, colloquially referred to as the Balfour Protests or Black Flag Protests, gained prominence in Israel throughout 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing trial of Netanyahu for various corruption scandals. Protesters accused Netanyahu of subjecting the law as part of his fight in criminal proceedings against him. The demonstrators protested against Netanyahu's continued tenure in the shadow of his criminal charges, claims of his preference for personal good over the good of the state, and demands to investigate the "submarine affair". One of the hotspots most identified with the protests was the compound near the Prime Minister's Residence, on Balfour Street in Jerusalem. The protests concluded after the thirty-sixth government of Israel, headed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid in a power-sharing agreement, was sworn in on 13 June 2021, ending Netanyahu's 12-year second tenure as prime minister.
Shikma Schwarzmann-Bressler is an Israeli physicist. A researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science, she is among those taking part in research at the CERN particle accelerator in Switzerland as a member of the ATLAS collaboration. She is also a social activist and leading figure in the "Black Flags" protests against Benjamin Netanyahu.
Simcha Dan Rothman is an Israeli lawyer, right-wing activist, and politician. He is currently a member of the Knesset for the far-right National Religious Party–Religious Zionism and the chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.
Protests over COVID-19 policies in Israel refer to the series of protests by various social and political groups since April 2020. The protests are opposing lockdowns, mandatory vaccines, government restriction policies and vaccinations in general. The protests coincided with similar demonstrations and riots worldwide, though some of the earlier protests were linked to the specific 2019–2021 Israeli political crisis.
Events in the year 2022 in Israel.
The year 2023 in Israel was defined first by wide-scale protests against a proposed judicial reform, and then by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, which led to a war and to Israel invading the Gaza Strip.
Events in the year 2022 in the Palestinian territories.
Revital "Tally" Gotliv is an Israeli lawyer and politician. She is currently a member of the Knesset for the Likud.
From January to October 2023, large-scale protests took place across Israel in response to the government's push for a wide-ranging judicial reform. The proposed reform aimed to change the makeup of the Judicial Selection Committee so that control over the appointment of judges was effectively given to the government. It would also prevent the Supreme Court from ruling on the validity of a Basic Law, prohibit the court to use "unreasonableness" as grounds for review of administrative decisions, and change the system for selecting judges so that the governing coalition would gain the power to appoint judges, among other plans. In July 2023, the Knesset passed the law to abolish the Supreme Court's ability to review government actions on grounds of reasonableness has been passed in, which to date is the only piece of legislation related to the reform to have been passed in parliament.
Moshe Radman Abutbul is an Israeli high-tech entrepreneur, investor, and activist. He is among the leaders of the protest against the judicial reform promoted by the 37th government of Israel.
On 2 September 2023, violent clashes took place in the streets of South Tel Aviv between Eritrean migrants opposing Isaias Afwerki's government, migrant supporters of Isaias Afwerki's government, and later with Israeli police trying to restore order. As a result of the clashes, more than 110 people were injured.
Standing Together is an Israeli grassroots movement that aims to bring together Arab-Israeli and Jewish-Israeli communities. It is the largest Arab-Jewish grassroots movement in the country. Standing Together first became active in 2015, and has about 5,300 members as of April 2024. The movement opposes neoliberalism and the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. It aims to further LGBT rights, women’s rights, workers' rights and full equality for Palestinian citizens of Israel. Since October 2023, the movement has played a leading role in the anti-war and pro-ceasefire protests within the Israeli society.
Events of the year 2024 in Israel.
Within Our Lifetime - United For Palestine (WOL), is a pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist activist organization primarily active in New York City. The group, which notably expresses support for Hamas and the Palestinian resistance against Israel, has been one of the key organizers in the city's ongoing Israel-Hamas war protests.
Hostages Square is a public plaza located in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Since the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, families of the hostages taken during the attack have encamped in the square, due to its proximity to the Israel Defense Forces headquarters. In addition, it has been the site of rallies and protests during the Israel-Hamas war calling for the release of the hostages.
As a result of the Israel–Hamas war, nationwide protests have occurred across Israel, including rallies, demonstrations, campaigns, and vigils. These demonstrations occurred as part of broader war-related protests occurring worldwide. Israelis domestically and abroad have primarily called for the return of hostages held by Hamas.
Events in 2024 in the Palestinian territories.
