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Politics : Middle East Politics
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To: Thomas M. who wrote (1630)5/8/2002 2:49:40 PM
From: Elmer Flugum  Read Replies (1) of 6945
 
The Other Israel

Briefing April 27

The most impressive part of tonight's big demonstration of the
Jewish Arab Coalition to End the Occupation in Tel-Aviv was
undoubtedly the march.

To walk with many thousands through the streets of central Tel-
Aviv chanting slogans in a powerful rhythm. It was raising our
heads again after the weeks of the rolling war machine and the
"blue and white" patriotic propaganda which not only thundered
from TV and radio, but also penetrated the schools and filled
the commercial billboards.

The message (to the passersby as well as to ourselves): we
Jews and Arabs, men and women, young and old, we will go on
until the bloody madness stops.

Signs spoke of "Occupation is terrorism - the refusers are the
heroes" "The Crime in Jenin will not be forgotten" "Arafat is our
partner." The two-flag signs of Gush Shalom - which the police
in vain tried to banish - were very popular especially among a
group of Arab youngsters who would have preferred to walk
with Palestinian flags, but the organizers had decided to make
it a "no flags" event - to avoid a competition whose flags would
prevail. And the Kvisa Sh?hora gay and lesbian youngsters
who went blindfolded and their hands connected through a rope
into a long line - revoking the terrible TV pictures of
Palestinians during the mass arrests.

The spirit continued after arrival on the Museum Square. The
audience was extremely willing to clap whenever a speaker put
determination and anger in a sentence. After a short opening
by actress Salwa Nakara (moderator): Nurit Peled-Elhanan with
her dramatic voice fulminating against the system which
educates our children into becoming thugs; Hulud Badawi the
charismatic woman student leader attacking the minister of
education for attempting to gag "non-patriotic students and
lecturers" ; author Salman Natur with his biting sarcasm ("that
the soldiers killed and robbed we understand, but why did they
have to destroy the computers"); reservist Idan Landau
("nowadays the most respectable place to be is in prison");
Rela Mazali who spoke about raising children to follow their
conscience and not military dictates; Knesset Member Roman
Bronfman - the last in the row - "it is not the peace camp which
is confused; the confusion is in the center; it is the extremists
on both sides who are to blame; stop terrorism, stop war, stop
occupation."

And the voice from the other side, from the Palestinians right
now suffering from harsh military repression was there too: the
voice of the physician and human rights activist Dr Mustapha
Barghouti live on the phone was sent through the loudspeakers
("we appreciate what you are doing very much; let's together
make an and to massacres and oppression") and drowned in
applause.

Beate Zilversmidt

other_israel.tripod.com
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