Massive demonstration of solidarity with Gaza's Israeli communities

Israel Insider ^ | April 27, 2004 | israelinsider staff

[gitmo]

Police were overwhelmed by the magnitude of a solidarity march to Gush Katif, the Israeli settlement bloc in the Gaza Strip. Police estimated the size of the rally at 70,000, and turned away tens of thousands others in mid-afternoon. Organizers said that as many as 120,000 eventually attended. It was believed to be the largest demonstration in the history of Gush Katif.

"It is difficult to describe what our eyes beheld." -- from the www.katif.net website

The rally precedes the May 2nd Likud party vote on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan to evacuate all Gaza Strip settlements.

Minister Natan Sharansky (Likud) opened the rally with a speech in which he said, "Anyone who votes for the plan needs to know that he will be responsible for soldiers evacuating communities." According to Sharansky, "Everything must be done so that everyone votes against (the plan)." Following Sharansky's speech, the agenda was put on hold to allow more supporters to arrive.

MK Zvi Hendel of the National Union party and a resident of Gush Katif, said that huge number of people attending the rally were sending a clear message to Prime Minister Sharon. He said Gush residents no longer had to fear an evacuation.

Construction and Housing Minister Effi Eitam called on Sharon to abandon his unilateral disengagement plan. "The masses here in the Gush [Katif settlement bloc] represent the conscience of Sharon, his truth, and the good of the State of Israel." He spoke directly: "If heaven forbid you will ask to uproot this sapling, we will assemble her and we will struggle in love of the settlement and their residents. We will struggle legally against the intention to expel Jews from their homes."

In the late afternoon, police asked the demonstrators still on the roads to return to their homes. IDF soldiers prevented those attending from holding a planned march by foot from the Kissufim checkpoint to Gush Katif. Thousands of visitors who began the 10-kilometer march returned to their vehicles. Many held a shorter march inside Gush Katif, from the Neve Dekalim settlement to the rally site at Tel Katifa.

The quantity of people at the rally overloaded the cellular phone network.

The rally ended at 6 pm, and police opened both lanes of the road to the outgoing traffic.

[gitmo]

Israel is responding to the Bush Doctrine in action.

[yonif]

Sharon has hinted that the vote at the Likud has no legal standing, and only the government vote and Knesset vote count. But this is denied by Sharon's men. Let's see what happens Sunday.

Also maybe Sharon will resign if it fails.

Another prediction of mine is that if Arafat is to be killed or expelled in some way in the near future, it will be done by Sunday. Benny Begin, who is against this victory to terror Gaza plan, in an interview to Israel Radio today said "If Arafat is to die by unnatural means by Sunday, his tomb stone will say: Arafat - died as a result of the Likud vote" (because Sharon would use Arafat's death to get more Likud votes for his retreat plan).

[SJackson]

I doubt it. He knows it will pass the Knesset, as do other Likud members. A party vote means nothing, and Sharon's not standing for reelection.