Israel – Thousands of demonstrators from across the left-wing of Israeli politics held a rally in Tel Aviv Saturday afternoon to protest 43 years of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, and a government that organizers said is “drowning Israel”.
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The protestors began their demonstration with a march from Rabin Square to the Tel Aviv museum, where speeches were held. The demonstration, which was held under the slogan “The Government is Drowning Us All”, was originally planned solely to protest the occupation, but following last Monday’s deadly raid on a Turkish boat attempting to break the Gaza blockade, the rally also addressed those upset about the government’s policies in regard to the Gaza Strip and the raid that left 9 foreign citizens dead and several IDF soldiers wounded.
Periodically during the course of the demonstration, dozens of right-wing counter protestors attempted to disrupt the proceedings, and at one point a smoke grenade was thrown at the rally. While the main rally was proceeding at the museum, counter protestors gathered in an adjacent patch of sidewalk and sang praise for the Israeli Navy SEALS and performed renditions of the Israeli national anthem.
As busloads of left-wing activists drove past at the end of the evening, counter protestors chanted “traitors”, “terror supporters”, and “go to Gaza” behind a wall of border patrolmen and YASSAM riot police.
Adam Keller a spokesman for Gush Shalom, one of the organizers of the event, told the Jerusalem Post that the demonstration “was an even bigger success than he expected” and said he believes the last week’s events increased the number of participants.
“Many people didn’t agree about to what level they oppose this government, but they feel suffocated by it, and feel that it is antagonizing the entire world.”
Keller’s sentiments were shared by Peace Now Head Yariv Oppenheimer who said that the demonstration was much larger than he expected and that it showed that “people are opposed to this government that is driving us towards international isolation.”
Oppenheimer added that he hopes the larger-than-expected rally leads to a new wave of opposition to the government, and praised what he said was a lack of anti-IDF slogans, placards, or sentiments at the rally.
go and demonstrate for what you stand for. the israelis were wrong in what they did last week.go leftists!!!
The “Communist Party of Israel”?- Communists, leftists, Islamists, their all allied together against Israel.
About as patriotic for their country as that Arab MK who said she would love it if Iran got the nuke weapon.
And what is really baffling are some Jews who say Israel does not have a right to exist and even participate in Holocaust denial conferences in Iran and have their photo taken with Ahmadinejad.
With friend like this who needs enemies
Where were the NK freaks??
They missed a chance to be mechalel shabbos while being mechalel shaim shomayim b’rabim?
Reply to #1 : You are a Rasha because you support Rashaim and those who want to see harm come our Jewish brothers. Communists hate Hashem and by your support of Communists you show you also hate Hashem. If you support Iran and send them flowers then you have a share in murder. If you hate the state of Israel which is home to over 5 million Jews fine. However, if you don’t support the Jewish people efforts to defend themselves by supporting their right to blockade feeding our enemies and their right to self-defense then you are very evil indeed. Despite your hatred of Zionism you still must support your brothers. Support for the state of Israel does not mean we support Zionism it means we support our fellow Jews who live there and are under constant threat. Most Orthodox Jews do not support Zionism but they support their Jewish brothers who happen to be living under a Zionist goverment. Do not throw the baby out with the bath water! There is no choice you must support Israel because it means support for the Jews who live there and are in danger. You must have a mental disorder called “Neturai Karta.” Must you merit to move to Gaza and then to Iran and bow down to the murders!
nobody should be fed up. I strongly disagree with them but the fact that they CAN have a protest, and can do it without fear of being round upped and killed, is an essential difference between Hamas and Israel. Let them protest. There protest itself proves the right wing point.
what’s really sad is these idiots think they’re safe from terrorists as long they appease the arabs and stay put in tel aviv.
From the picture, most of the demonstraters look of Arabic origin.
The real enemy here is ignorance. You won’t find a single person there that had a proper chinuch. We have an obligation to reach out and educate our misguided brothers about the emes.
The irony of the situation is that the whole left leaning Israeli media & left leaning parties in the last few weeks have been accusing the chareidim of being unpatriotic. But look at their own people. Criticising their own government at a time when Israel needs all the support it can get!
So where is the Israeli news media & kadima & metetz compailning about the patriotism of these people?
I’m personally convinced that every time the left in Israel pick on the chareidim, the Ribbono Shel Olom gives a dose of mida kneged mida to Israel.
as someone who most (at least on this board) consider me a leftest or liberal. I do not agree with the protesters. I would say that it is unfortunate that many innocent Palestine’s are suffering because of the blockade, however ones own survivable must come first. And since if there is free shipments to Gaza I am sure weapons that can harm or destroy Israel will get into the hands of Hamas.
In addition the people in Gaza have no one to blame except themselves. They voted hamas into office knowing full well what the response would be from Israel and Egypt
Funny, no one really mentions Egypt also maintains a blockade.
One can be a right or the left but realty is always somewhere in the middle
May all these protesters rest.
In pieces.