Dubai- Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv’s Rabin Square on Saturday night in what became the largest Israeli protest against its military operation in Gaza so far. According to official estimates some 7,000 protesters attended. Although covered by Israeli news outlets such as the Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post, the protest was conspicuously missing from mainstream media in America and Britain. Protests held up signs calling on Israel to end its assault on Gaza. “Let them live” read one sign. Protestors also lit candles spelling out the word “sorry” in Arabic. The organisers, a group called Hadash, is a leftist political party teamed up with Combatants for Peace and THe Parents CIrcle Families Forum.
Dov Khenin, a member of the Israeli Knesset and Hadash party member, called on the Israeli government to support a Palestinian unity government headed by Mahmoud Abbas. “So many heartbreaking moments happened this month,” Khenin said at the rally. “A son crying over his father’s grave, a mother weeping for her son, and many pictures of the wounded and dead. Behind each picture is a name, a family. We must answer truthfully: Has a drop of all this bloodshed really helped bring us to a better place?” Meanwhile, right-wing Israelis taunted the protestors shouting “Death to the leftists” and wishing that “a rocket from Gaza would kill them”. In addition they merrily sang “Why is there no school in Gaza? Because no more kids are left.” Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian protests continued Saturday in European capitals--London, Paris, Dublin. 45,000 demonstrators lined the streets of London chanting messages of solidarity with the Palestinian people, a constant flow of supporters filed through High Street Kensington underground station from early in the day. Members of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign along with MPs Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn and Caroline Lucas delivered an open letter to Downing Street calling on the Prime Minister to halt arms trade with Israel. In Paris, thousands of protesters defied a government ban and clashed with police--40 demonstrators were arrested.
