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10,000 in Tel Aviv Protest Israel’s Occupation of Palestinians & Gaza War
an article by David Harris-Gershon, Tikkun
In the largest protest of its kind in years, 10,000-15,000
Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv to call for a just peace with
Palestinians and to protest Israel’s occupation and Gaza
military operations. 
Thousands of anti-war activists gather in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. Activestills.org
click on photo to enlarge
The gathering is particularly significant given that, in
previous anti-war rallies since the beginning of hostilities in
Gaza, right-wing nationalists have attacked and sometimes
beaten progressive protesters, leaving anti-war activists in
Israel feeling increasingly threatened.
Tonight’s rally, sponsored by a number of left-wing groups
in Israel, including the political party Meretz, overwhelmed
those extremists who showed up with the volume of
participants.
Organizers of tonight’s protest had the following message
for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who many protesters
addressed with chants of “Bibi, go home”:
“The next round of fighting can be prevented. No to the way
of wars – we must have a political solution. After an
agonizing month of war and death, in the face of mounting
waves of incitement and hatred, which increasingly tear up
the Israeli society, we stand up to demonstrate for peace and
for democracy.”
Israel and Hamas in Gaza are currently in the midst of a five-
day ceasefire as officials from both sides try to hammer out
a long-term truce, which will likely only be secured with an
end of the blockade in Gaza. It’s precisely this point which
famed Israeli novelist David Grossman addressed, telling the
crowd, “We won’t be able to breathe deeply in Israel as long
as people in Gaza feel choked.”
The next few days will determine whether both Israel and
Egypt will agree to lift their metaphorical boots from the
throats of Palestinians in Gaza, and whether Israel’s
government will recognize the unity agreement between
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority in the interest of
moving forward with diplomatic efforts.
It’s a hope shared by some 10,000 Israelis who protested in
Tel Aviv.
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DISCUSSION
Question(s) related to this article:
The Israeli peace movement, Do you think it will continue to grow?
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Latest reader comment:
People like Amos Oz are very encouraging as well as strong speakers because of their experiences. When people who have actually participated and experienced war speak out, their voices are so much more powerful because they have witnessed it first hand. "Knowledge is power" truly applies to these advocates.
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