Anti-war Demo In Tel-aviv, Israel

[Weltmann]

Nearly 6000 people, Jews and Arabs, attended a Tel-Aviv rally this Saturday (22.7) against the war on Lebanon and against the ongoing occupation of the Palestinian people.

The rally and march were organized by the Communist Party of Israel (CPI) (http://www.maki.org.il/), and the CPI-dominated Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (DFPE) (http://www.hadash.org.il/).

The CPI is the only Jewish-Arab party in Israel. It stands for elections along with other left groups on the list of DFPE. The DFPE has three representatives in Knesset (the Israeli parliament) out of 120, two of which are CP members.

Also endorsing the rally were the Coalition of Women for Peace (http://www.coalitionofwomen4peace.org/), Peace Bloc (http://gush-shalom.org/english/), the National Democratic Assembly (http://www.balad.org/) (An Arab nationalist party; won 3 seats in the Knesset in the last elections), Anarchists Against the Wall (http://www.squat.net/antiwall/) (An anarchist group that campaigns against the seperation wall that is being built in the West Bank), Taayush (http://www.taayush.org/) (A Jewish-Arab direct action group) and three refuseniks organizations (The Shministim (http://www.shministim.org/), Yesh Gvul (http://www.yeshgvul.org/),Combatants for Peace (http://www.combatantsforpeace.org/aboutus.asp?lng=eng). The first of which is an organization of teenage refusers, and the other two are mostly veterans and reserve soldiers).

Here are some pictures from the demo:

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev11.jpg

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev4.jpg
"Olmert Struck a Deal with Bush: War and Occupation" (Signed: "The Young Communist League of Israel").

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev3.jpg
"There are No Winners in a War"

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev8.jpg
"Stop the War Craze!" (Signed: "Peace Bloc")

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev13.jpg

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev14.jpg
A protestor waving the flag of the Palestinian People's Party (http://www.palpeople.org/) (formerly the Palestinian Communist Party), the sister-party of CPI.

http://gush-shalom.org/pics/telaviv-22-7-06/IMG_0002.jpg
The banner on the left says: "Better to exchange prisoners than to dig graves!"

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev10.jpg
A protestor carrying the banner of "Gush Shalom" (Peace Bloc).

http://gush-shalom.org/pics/telaviv-22-7-06/IMG_0023.jpg
A group of protestors from the National Democratic Assembly (NDA), with their orange-colored flags. The sign in Arabic says: "The goverment of Olmert and Peretz is a Terrorist government!".

http://gush-shalom.org/pics/telaviv-22-7-06/IMG_0024.jpg

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev5.jpg

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev6.jpg

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev7.jpg
In the middle, wearing a red shirt: Dr. Dov Khenin, a Member of Knesset (MK) from the DFPE, and political bureau member of CPI) (http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=780).

http://www.aljabha.org/q/images/lobnan-talaveev9.jpg
From left-to-right: MK Wasil Taha (NDA) (http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=757), former-MK Issam Mahul (DFPE; secretary-general of CPI) (http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=218); MK Jamal Zahalka (NDA) (http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=756); former-MK Uri Avneri (Peace Bloc) (http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=238); MK Muhammad Barake (DFPE; political bureau member of CPI) (http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=197) and former-MK Tamar Gozansky (DFPE; political bureau member of CPI) (http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?ID=31).

[Demogorgon]

Plenty of decent Israelis yet

[Jamal]

This is great! To say the truth, I didn't expect to see Israelis of such a great number being communists and leftists and to go on a protest with such a number meens that there are more leftists that couldn't make it. This is good news :)

By the way, the websites of the extentions you put are great!

[Enragé]

great :)

[Delta]

Good to see :D

[Weltmann]

http://www.banki-shabiba.net/haverim/ta1.jpg
"Stop Killing Civillians!"

http://www.banki-shabiba.net/haverim/ta2.jpg
"Stop the Bombing! Stop the Killing!"

http://www.banki-shabiba.net/haverim/ta3.jpg
"It won't go by force! End the War!"

http://www.banki-shabiba.net/haverim/ta4.jpg
"Occupation and War are a Disaster! Only Just Peace = Security!"

http://www.banki-shabiba.net/haverim/ta5.jpg

http://www.banki-shabiba.net/haverim/ta6.jpg

http://www.banki-shabiba.net/haverim/ta7.jpg

http://www.banki-shabiba.net/haverim/ta8.jpg
"NO for a Second Lebanon War!" (Signed: Young Communist League of Israel)

http://www.banki-shabiba.net/haverim/ta9.jpg
"Stop the Bombing of Haifa, Beirut and Gaza!"

Videos of the rally:
http://mishtara.org/hingus/?p=63
http://www.tv.social.org.il/medini/hafgana-22-7-06-web.htm
http://news.walla.co.il/?w=//945127

* * * *

This is the third big demonstration against the war in Lebanon since it started two weeks ago. In the first demo, on the very same day the started, we were 100 protestors. Three days later, our numbers grew to 1000, and now we've reached nearly 6000.

Hopefully, in the coming weeks, more and more sections of the Left, who are currently some-what supporting the war, or are neutral towards it (Like the Zionist Social-Democratic "Meretz" party or the Zionist "Peace Now" movement), will join the anti-war movement.

Here are videos from that second 1000 strong demo:

http://www.tv.social.org.il/medini/hafgana-16-7-06-web.htm
http://news.walla.co.il/?w=//941524

[Voices that carry]

Great to see that there is still some decency in some israelites :)

[bolshevik butcher]

It's good to see class unity and awarness on both 'sides' of the conflict, for in reality the working class of both nations are on the same side.

[Omri Evron]

Yeah the demo was realy great, because thousands of Jews and Arabs came together for the biggest radical-left demonstration is Israel for years (excluding May First parades). But we did get a lot of violent and angry responses- someone threw eggs and tomatoes at us and tried to attack the Communist Knnesset Members. This just shows how much it is important to voice a joint Jewish and Arab protest within Israel to this horrible war and to the numerous attacks of civilians on both sides, under the approval of American imperialism.
(I'm the guy with long hair and glasses holding the left side of the banner saying: "Stop the Bombing! Stop the Killing!")


Anyway, on the way back from the demo I walked home alone. Suddenly a group of 6-7 fascist thugs approached me because they recognized I came from the demonstration (I was wearing a communist T-shirt). They took my newspapers, broke my glasses and started beating me!!! I didn't do anything to them, they just attacked me because of my views.
I wasn't hurt much physicaly, but it was just so humiliating and... just made me so angry! I mean, I took a lot of worst things (physically) from armed cops and soldiers in demonstrations- but because these were just right-wing fascists that attacked me out of no-ware in an ordinary street near my home, it shocked me and hurt me emotionally a lot more... I hate fascists!

[Tekun]

This is certainly great to see, Arab and Jewish solidarity against terrorism on both sides, Lebanese but especially Jewish
From the pictures, its looks like it was a pretty good turnout
Only thing better would be if these type of demonstrations were more aggressive to the point of creating havoc and forcing the Israeli gov to stop all their military actions, but this is great to see nevertheless

Although Im not a fan of the CPI due to their support of the Six Day War
This solidarity shows that all is not lost, and that Palestinians and Jews can solve their problems without the help or guidance of reactionary politicians or leaders

[Keyser]

Good to see this in Israel.

The capitalist run news media will of course ignore these struggles and the work of anti-war/anti-militarist/anti-imperialist activists and pretend that no one is actually resisting the designs that our capitalist overlords have for us.

However, one mistake that could happen is that these demos will just be a ritualistic event, in that they are spaced out say on a certain day every month, with police permission to be allowed to demonstrate and protest.

Hold daily demos and protests, in as many places as possible, showing that resistance is
needed and that it will be ongoing and never let up until this imperialist bloodbath in Palestine, Lebanon and Israel stops.

Also some good old fashioned direct action, blockading military bases, sit downs on rail tracks for trains moving military supplies, strikes, university and school occupations and
activists going to the Israel-Lebanon border to pysically stop the crossing of the IDF into the Lebanese side.

All of this combined will put a hell of a lot more pressure on the Israeli capitalist state and it's genocidal and bloody war machine.

Forget the Israeli Labour Party, I did see some posters on RevLeft make positive comments on that bastard Peretz, when became Labour leader. Now that shit is defence minister and goes on TV to boast about his latest terroristic air stike on Beruit and how there will be "more to come".

The Israeli Labour Party, the Kadima Party and Likud are all one and the same, political representatives of the capitalist class and their oppressive and bloody state.

They have no answers or solutions for our class, so fuck them.

[Karl Marx's Camel]

I am sorry to hear that Omri Evron! :(


:angry:

It must have been a scary and uncomfortable experience (I do know, since I have been in similar experiences). Keep strong, friend.

[Jamal]

Someting like that happened to me too, but it was only by blackmailing and shouting out harmfulwords.
Next time Omri Evron, make sure you don't walk back home alone.
Take care :)

[Omri Evron]

Thanx for the support.

The party which is today the CPI did oppose the 1967 war. The thing is, in 1965 CPI split into two fractions, the one retaining the name CPI supported the war and the majority was called Racah (New Communist List), whom opposed the war. As the CPI fraction dissapeared over the years, Racah regained the name and is today's CPI.

[Tekun]

^My bad comrade, I overlooked the fact that in 1989 the Rakah (New Communist List) changed their name to the new Maki, and were in fact the ones who opposed the 67 war, it was the old Maki who supported the war
My mistake

Good to see the turnout though


PS: Like someone suggested, next time u go attend these meetings, make sure you show up and leave the protests in a group, that way u stay safe
Or you could always arm yourself
I don't know how the gun control is in Israel, but to avoid another bad experience, maybe u should think about arming yourself in self defense
Good luck brother