Demonstration against Egypt
Photo: Avi Cohen
Protester clashes with police
Photo: Avi Cohen
Israeli Arabs against Mubarak: Learn from Israel
Relatives of Sinai accident casualties hold demonstration opposite Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv, claim that Egypt authorities failed in treating injured, protest lenient sentence handed to bus driver
Some 100 Israeli Arabs held a rally Wednesday outside the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv in protest of what they perceive as the country's failed handling of the traffic accident in Sinai which left 12 Israelis dead.
One of the protesters was a woman whose son was wounded in the accident and who died later because he was not evacuated to the hospital in time. Assad Gaban from the community of Mazra'a lost his brother Najub in the accident. His daughter was seriously injured and is still hospitalized. Gaban called on President Hosni Mubarak to come to Israel and "learn from the Israelis what value for life means."
The demonstrators also protested the lenient sentence handed to the bus driver involved in the accident, who will serve only one year in prison.
Mubarak invited to Israel (Photo: Avi Cohen)
"Learn from Israel what human dignity means. Human dignity is a primary value in Israel," the protesters shouted.
Participants in the rally held up signs saying, "12 killed, 12 months in jail – justice Egypt-style," and "State of Israel – don't abandon injured and killed citizens."
Criticism
Roee Nahmias
Following difficulties Egyptians made for injured Israeli bus passengers, Labor Knesset member calls to boycott trips to Egyptian peninsula
"I tell the Egyptians that they should be ashamed of themselves. They didn't send any letter of condolences. We want Israelis to learn from this not to go to Egypt or to Sinai. If anything happens to them there, they will not receive any treatment," he stated.
Some of the families claim that the incident was not a traffic accident, but a terror attack. According to Gaban, "unfortunately, from the testimonies we've heard, it appears that it was an attack. From the beginning of the ride the driver was rude to the passengers and drove recklessly and in a manner that endangered the passengers."
