Hundreds gathered in protest outside Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s Tel Aviv apartment complex on Wednesday night, following the Israeli deadly operation in Gaza. Another demonstration was held in Jerusalem, near the Prime minister’s house.
The activists among them several Hadash (the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality – Communist Party of Israel) members chanted slogans such as: “Israel, Palestine, two states for two peoples,” “Money for welfare, not war,” “No war for tycoons,” and “Defense minister, defense minister, how many kids did you kill today?” One of the placards waved at the protest referred to Barak as Israel’s “No. 1 terrorist,” while others called for an immediate cease-fire and an end to the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.
Israeli activists protesting in front of the residence of the Israeli Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak against the attack on Gaza on, Tel-Aviv, November 14, 2012: “Siege=Terror” and “Assassinations don’t prevent missiles” (Photo: Activestills)
Amit Ashkenazi, a spokesman for Hadash’s election campaign who participated in the demonstration, accused the government of taking a cynical step to raise support for the right wing ahead of the January 22 election. “This will only bring death to Palestinians and Israelis, and we call on everybody who is able to come stand by our side and fight against this step before civilians and soldiers on both sides are killed,” he told the press. More protests were planned for Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa on Thursday, the Hadash spokesman said.
On Wednesday, MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), strongly condemned the operation “The Netanyahu administration insists on not learning from experience,” he said. “Assassinating leaders is never a solution. Leaders were assassinated in the past, and others came to replace them, and in the meantime a new round of blood and fire just began.” He called for “serious negotiations” with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, alongside “a genuine, two-sided ceasefire agreement in the south.”
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Demonstrations in Tel-Aviv and Haifa against the war in Gaza
