Public to protest against Olmert, Peretz

Israeli citizens from all over country to rally in Tel Aviv against prime minister, defense minister in light of Winograd Commission’s ‘severe’ conclusions

Meital Zur|Published: 05.01.07 , 14:49

A mass rally calling for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s resignation is scheduled to be held on Thursday evening at Rabin Square in Tel Aviv.

Protestors are expected to arrive from Jerusalem, Beer Sheva, Haifa, Sderot, and the North; some citizens have already begun making their way towards Tel Aviv.

"The Public Coalition" press conference at Rabin Square (Photo: Niv Calderon)

“The Winograd Commission has spoken – you’ve failed, and you can’t fix anything anymore,” said Tafnit Chairman Uzi Dayan during a press conference held by “The Public Coalition” on Tuesday.

“Before even hearing the conclusions, the prime minister and the defense minister announced that they wouldn’t take personal responsibility and quit. Therefore, the ball is now in the Israeli public’s court to speak out,” he said.

University students also took part in the press conference. “The Winograd report is the most important thing ever written on the government’s conduct. The leadership has hit rock bottom, so the rally on Thursday is extremely important,” said Yakir Segev, chairman of the Hebrew University Student Union.

“Democracy is apparently a dynamic and very fragile thing. Thirty-three years ago, ministerial responsibility was a much more important principal than personal responsibility,” said Moti Ashkenazi, leader of the anti-government protests of army reservists following the Yom Kippur War.

Ronny Tzvigenboim, representative of the IDF reserves movement, added, “Nine months ago, none of us went home. We didn’t go home, not to our families, and not to our jobs. We realized the war was over, but the war at home was just beginning.

“We saw what they tried to hide from us for nine months – it all blew up yesterday. The defense minister’s answer was that he didn’t see any legal grounds to resign – but I ask, don’t doesn’t 160 causalities constitute legal grounds?”