'No stability without Palestinian state'
Combatants for Peace members rally against Israeli occupation on 40th anniversary of Six Day War. Crowd scatteres prematurely due to troublesome checkpoints
"This is our response to anyone on the Israeli side saying there is no Palestinian peace camp," Naser Kos, a Fatah activist told Ynet on Tuesday at a rally marking 40 years since the Six Day War.
A few hundred Palestinians and dozes of Israelis gathered in an elementary school in the village of Anata near Jerusalem to take part in a conference held by the Combatants for Peace organization.
To the surprise of those present, the gathering was dispersed before all the speeches and performances were given, as many Palestinians wanted to leave "before it gets messy at the checkpoints," as one Hebron woman said.
Israeli singer David Broza, who was supposed to perform at the event said, "As usual, moments before peace – something has to happen."
The campaign's speaker, Gibril Rajoub of Fatah, said that all those participating in the conference have experienced personal tragedy, and have all lost loved ones.
"Our presence here means victory for the common need to establish a Palestinian state and get rid of the occupation, because without these things there will be no stability, security and peace in the region or the rest of the world," said Rajoub.
Conference participants. (photo: Gil Yohanan)
Criticizing the security fence/wall, Rajoub appealed to the Israelis in the audience, saying, "If your leaders are telling you that it is the wall or their policies that have stopped that attacks, they are deceiving you. Our political decision for the sake of peace is what has stopped the attacks. Just like Palestinians in Rafah are building hundreds of tunnels, Palestinians could also build tunnels under the wall and reach Tel Aviv, but we chose peace."
"On our side there is a unity government that is wiling to reach calm and ready for a Palestinian State in the 1967 borders," said Rajoub, accusing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his government of not being a partner ready for negotiations.
"There is no way that a Palestinian state will emerge as long as there is even one fascist, criminal settler living on our land," Rajoub said.
MK Dov Khenin (Hadash) also spoke at the conference, and expressed his hope that by next year, everyone will be celebrating the end of the occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"We no longer accept continued occupation in our name. We want a different future for ourselves and for the Palestinians," he said.
Sima Ambas, a former Palestinian prisoner from the West Bank city of Tulkarem, whose husband, brother and cousin were all killed by Israeli forces said, "I call on both sides to think reasonably. Reasonably like only someone who has felt the tragedy themselves can think and not like someone speaking from anger or rage.
"Don't wait for your own tragedy to wake up. Don't wait to lose your loved ones before you act," Sima Ambas said.
Guy Elhanan, a young Israeli who lost his sister in a 1997 suicide attack warned of a possible summer war that would only serve a few generals, politicians and weapon dealers looking to get rich.
Elhanan pointed out that, just like his sister, hundreds of children and people were being killed as if they were products being snatched off the shelves.
