People's Democracy

IN one of the biggest peace rally since the current wave of violence broke out in October 2000, tens of thousands rallied in Tel Aviv on May 11 under the central slogan "Get Out of the Territories." Police estimated the crowd at about 60,000, while organizers Peace Now put the figure at above 150,000. People in wheelchairs and mothers with babies in pushchairs mixed with the elderly and crowds of young people. A helicopter hovered overhead as a rock band, headed by popular contemporary Israeli singer Aviv Gefen, entertained the crowds with songs of love and peace. "Brother, brother, get out of the territories," chanted the demonstrators.

The rally was organized by Israeli main opposition party Meretz Party and other peace groups including the Israeli Communist Party and other Left groups. "This is much bigger than expected," the leader of Meretz party, Yossi Sarid, told newsagency AFP at the rally. "It is a very important message to the Israeli government, the Arab world and the international community. There is a peace camp in Israel and it is raising its voice," he said. "From tonight, Sharon can be assured there is no consensus for a military operation" in Gaza, he added.

Speaking from the podium, Sarid said there needed to be an "international mandate for the (Palestinian) territories". "If Israel attacks Gaza, they will do it without us," he added. The economic crisis is threatening the entire country. Only the settlements and the government are big and fat... Withdraw from the settlements and return to ourselves. The settlements are a burden; there is no concession and no prize, Sarid said in his speech.

Former justice minister and leading Labour dove Yossi Beilin accused Sharon of leading the nation into a tragedy. "We are told Sharon is a man of peace but it is not true: he doesn’t want to go to the negotiating table because he has nothing to say," he said. "Sharon is dragging us into a catastrophe."

One of the highlights of the evening was when singer Yaffa Yarkoni, who had been sharply criticized for her remarks against the IDF incursions into the territories and against the occupation of the territories, and whose appearances had been cancelled in some places, took the stage. She was warmly received by the crowd.

Peace Now leader Tzali Reshef told the crowd that the time has come to return home, and called on the settlers to move to Arad, where he lives, or other towns in the South, like Yeroham or Dimona. Saying that the foreign minister Shimon Peres bears as much responsibility for the current situation as prime minister Ariel Sharon, he called on the Labor Party to leave the government for the sake of the state.

Robi Damelin, the mother of Lt. (res.) David Damelin, 28, who was killed during a Palestinian attack at a roadblock north of Ofra, also addressed the crowd. At the end of the demonstration, former Meretz MK Shulamit Aloni, MKs Yael Arad and Taleb a-Sana and other representatives of the Left joined the crowd in singing Hatikva.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Communist Party has called upon the people of Israel to see that the deadly plan of Sharon's war machine to launch full scale attack on Gaza strip and other occupied territories is halted immediately.

"The daily violence, along with the failure of the Sharon’s brutal policies to achieve their professed goals of "security", are driving Israelis to a growing perplexity and frustation. This climate in turn generates a polarisation of views, with the extremist calling for ever more violent action, which is the background to the growth of the refusal movement, and a parallel resort to harsher measures by the military command. The IDF (Israel Defence Forces - Tzahal) onslaught on the Palestinian West Bank in April prompted a massive call-up of reservists, producing a rash of refusals. In the course of that month, an unprecedent 69 soldiers and officers got prison sentences. The number of Israeli soldiers jailed since the beginning of the Intifada now numbers 114. At this moment (Friday May, 10) 28 soldiers and officers are in Military Prison 4 & 6.", stated ICP. It called upon the Israeli government to withdraw from the Palestinian occupied territories.

(Compiled from Jerusalem Post and other news agencies)