The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee expressed satisfaction with the march and rally against the racist Nation-State law held Saturday night, August 11, in Tel Aviv. Committee Chairman and former Hadash MK Mohammad Barakeh published in Al-Ittihad, the daily newspaper of the Communist Party of Israel (CPI), a letter Monday morning, August 13, thanking the participants and organizers and expressing appreciation for the mass Jewish participation.

Higher Arab Monitoring Committee Chairman Mohammad Barakeh (fourth from right) during the march against the racist Nation-State Law held Saturday night, August 11, in Tel Aviv (Photo: Al Ittihad)

“The spectacular scene yesterday in Tel Aviv allowed Benjamin Netanyahu and his gang to let loose and begin their unbridled incitement showing how low they can go. They were joined by those who consider themselves heads of the opposition, like Zionist Union MK Tzipi Livni and Zionist Union chairman Avi Gabbay,” said.

According to Barakeh, the Tel Aviv rally was not the opening salvo against the Nation-State Law. Rather, much preparatory work was done at the grassroots level to enlist support and this was a test of the readiness of the Arab community to continue the public struggle.

No additional protests are expected in the coming days, as next week Muslims will celebrate Id al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice. After the holiday break the campaign will continue, first by enlisting signatures on a petition against the Nation-State Law, with the goal of getting more than half a million signers. Steps will also continue internationally, among them a meeting with the Foreign Policy Chief of the European Union, Federica Mogherini, who will meet Joint List members on September 4 in Brussels, as well as conducting meetings with representatives of the UN.

On Sunday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused protesters who attended the mass demonstration in Tel Aviv of wanting to “turn Israel into an Israeli-Palestinian state.” “Last night we received cogent testimony of the opposition to the existence of the State of Israel and the urgency of the Nation-State Law,” Netanyahu said at a weekly cabinet meeting,

Kulanu Minister Eli Cohen also joined the fascist chorus of opprobrium emanating from the far-right cabinet meeting, describing the protesters as a “fifth column in the State of Israel.”