More demonstrations against racism and occupation will be held in Israel, on the next days, in Haifa, Tirah and Kufr Manda. A demonstration will be held on Tuesday, July 10, at 21:00 at Emil Habibi Square by activists of the Communist Party of Israel (CPI) and Hadash. Kufr Manda will host on Friday, a demonstration of Follow-up Committee of the Arab National Minority in Israel against the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people and in protest against the killing of the Palestinian boy Mohammad Abu Khdeir by extremist settlers.
Another rally will be held next Saturday, July 12, in Tirah with the participation of CPI and Hadash militants. “Following recent events, and the rift being revealed between Jews and Arabs in Israel, we – as social activists from different organizations, associations and left wing movements – are joining together to make a sane voice heard in the insane reality in which we live. We are saying no to racism, yes to peaceful equal existence, and yes to a shared destiny. This Saturday we will go to Tirah, in the triangle, to demonstrate what partnership is. We will meet the key people of the place, visit the city, and hold a protest rally not to let the extremists, killing, militancy, incitement and racism control the public arena and call to work towards point peaceful and equal existence between Jews and Arabs,” said the peace activists statement.
Hundreds arrested in the last week
Hundreds of protestors living in Arab-Palestinian cities towns in Israel have been met with violent crowd control and dispersion methods used by police in an attempt to prevent demonstrations, which have been gathering momentum in the last week. Demonstrations spread across the country in protest of the abduction and murder of Palestinian child Abu Khdeir, who was burned to death in response the kidnapping and murder of three young Israeli settlers last month, as well as the ongoing attack against Gaza the last days. As of Wednesday evening, 277 Arab-Palestinian citizens had been arrested, 110 of whom were minors. The arrests were carried out during dawn raids as part of a search operation by Israeli forces in many Palestinian towns; arrested individuals were primarily charged with breaching public order and participating in illegal demonstrations.
On Thursday evening, July 3, several thousands Left-wing Israelis gathered in Habima Square in Tel Aviv in a protest against “the spirit of revenge.” Present at the demonstration were MKs Dov Khenin (Hadash), Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), Amram Mitzna (Hatnuah) and Adi Kol (Yesh Atid). Protestors carried red flags and red Hadash signs. They held signs with slogans including, “No to revenge, yes to a diplomatic solution,” and “A deal will knock out terror.”
MK Dov Khenin (second from left) during a joint Jewish-Arab demonstration in Haifa holding up a sign reading “Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies.” (Photo: Al Ittihad)
Also they chanted: “We will not let extremists run our lives!” / “Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies!” / “Government lies will not bring security!” / “All government ministers are part of the incitement!” / “Government of settlers and tycoons has no solution!” and “This is not an extremist minority, it is a racist government!” Toward the end of the rally, a group of right-wing Israelis gathered at the other side of the square and verbal clashes broke out between the groups.
Other demonstrations took place in Nazareth, Akko, Kafr Kanna, Arrabeh, Deir Hanna, Al-Muthalath, Shefa Amr, Sakhnin, Um el-Fahm, Taybeh, Baqa Al-Gharbiya, Tirah, Jaffa, Iksal, Fureidis, Jisr Az-Zarqa, Hura, Tel As-Sabi, Lakiya and Arara. In Nazareth, it was reported that new Mayor Ali Salam urged demonstrators to return home. A day earlier he had expressed his opposition to the demonstrations, citing that commerce, economy and tourism in the city could be damaged as a result. He further criticized Communist leadership of the demonstrations. Hadash, condemned Salam for exonerating the Netanyahu government and “blaming Arab leaders for what had happened.”
