Demonstrations in Israel this Weekend will call for an international investigation, for letting the ship Rachel Corrie through to Gaza and a general lifting of the siege — as well as calling for a complete end to the 43-year-old occupation.

For several weeks the peace movement in Israel has been organizing to mark June 5, the 43rd anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. Demonstrations and rallies were planned — some in cooperation with Palestinian groups — calling for an end to the occupation in Palestinian Sheikh Jarrah, in west Jerusalem – a special vigil by Women in Black – and tomorrow, Saturday, a mass rally in Tel-Aviv.

Following the lethal takeover of the Gaza relief flotilla, the focus changed. As now planned, a central role will be given to the call for an international investigation of the killings on the sea — as the organizers place no confidence in the ability of Israel’s military authorities to look into their own deeds and possible misdeeds.

The demonstrators will also call upon the government to allow the Irish aid ship Rachel Corrie, now en route on the Mediterranean, to reach the port of Gaza, and in general to lift the siege of Gaza. As long as the Gaza Strip is under siege, it still remains under a de-facto Israeli occupation, and the naval commando attack on the Turkish aid ship in effect expanded the occupation from Gaza deep into sea.

A rally in Tel-Aviv tomorrow (Saturday June 5), will leave at 19:00 from the Rabin Square (corner of Frishman) and culminate with a rally at the Museum Plaza on 20:00 in front of the Defense Ministry. This is intended as a mass demonstration protesting the Netanyahu-Barak-Lieberman government’s dangerous escalation of regional violence, as well as marking 43 years of occupation. The main slogan would be “The Government is drowning all of us — we must strive for peace.”

The rally’s manifesto read: “It’s time to return to sanity and save our society from ruin. Without a solution of two states for two peoples and two capitals in Jerusalem, the whole region’s future is in doubt.” The organizations co-sponsoring the demonstration include Communist Party of Israel, Hadash (the Equality and Peace Democratic Front), the Young Communist League (Banki-Shabiba), Yesh Gvul, Combatants for Peace, Meretz, Physicians for Human Rights, Peace Now, Gush Shalom and others.

For more details contact: Yoni tel. + 972.54.7276587