Beginning Tuesday night and continuing through the rest of the week, dozens of activists will stand outside the homes of Likud ministers, demanding that Defense Minister Ehud Barak be replaced. The protests outside the ministers' homes are a continuation of protests against Barak's continued presence in the government that began last week, when 120 youths from Itamar dressed up as Yassam-unit police officers and protested outside Barak's home in Tel Aviv, demanding that he quit.
Participating in the protests are members of the Binyamin Residents' Council, the Shomron Residents' Council, several youth groups, and the Kommemyut organization. The protests are being organized by a steering committee, which expects hundreds of protesters by the end of the week. They have already commenced a poster and internet ad campaign in which Netanyahu's face slowly changes to look like Barak's.
Among the ministers targeted are Reuven Rivlin, Benny Begin, Gideon Sa'ar, Moshe Ya'alon, Yuval Steinitz, and Silvan Shalom. Protesters will hold signs and chant slogans asking the ministers to say to Barak "Goodbye now," using the Hebrew term "shalom"- echoing the name of the far-left group Peace Now, a term that wiil now be used
Benny Katzover, chairman of the Samaria Residents' Committee, said Tues that “our basic stance is that Barak is influencing Prime Minister Netanyahu on continuing the building freeze in Judea and Samaria. He is also responsible for the negative portrayal in Israeli society of Jews in Judea and Samaria. Barak is a problem, and the damage that he causes and broadcasts to our enemies has emboldened our enemies. We will continue this campaign until the message is clear to those who can have an inflience on the situation.”