Haniyeh: Jerusalem will remain Islamic
Hundreds of Israeli Arabs, left-wing activists from Israel and abroad gather at Erez crossing for rally against siege on Gaza. Hamas prime minister uses Israeli MK's phone to convey message to protestors: 'We'll meet at al-Aqsa Mosque'
Hamas' prime minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, called Knesset Member Talab El-Sana's phone and used it to address the protestors. He said that a year after Operation Cast Lead, the Strip's residents are much stronger.
According to the Hamas prime minister, the Arab citizen's presence within the Green Line strengthens the Strip's residents.
"We have managed to overcome the occupation plans and we will surely meet at the al-Aqsa Mosque and in Jerusalem, which will remain Arab and Islamic," Haniyeh said.
He sent his greetings to the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, which organized the march towards the Erez crossing. "The Strip misses you very much, and God willing, we will meet soon in Jerusalem."
The rally's participants arrived from across the countries on organized buses. The protestors waved Palestinian flags and banners with pictures of the victims of Operation Cast Lead and called on Israel to stop what they defined as "the ongoing war crimes" in Gaza.
MK El-Sana (United Arab List-Ta'al) told Ynet that he has spoken to the Hamas leadership in Gaza on Thursday morning in order "to express the solidarity of us protestors with the residents of Gaza who are under a heavy and ongoing blockade."
Hundreds attend protest (Photo: Roee Idan)
According to the MK, the Hamas leadership thanked him for the gesture. "The ceasefire since the war is imaginary and it may explode soon if Israel does not stop this siege, which is preventing Gaza's residents from receiving food and medications," he said.
"This war was unnecessary. It hurt innocent civilians and children, and those responsible will be forced to pay for it. Peace is done with enemies, and Hamas is ready to have the PLO negotiate with Israel. Without a complete withdrawal from the territories we won't have calm."
Several days ago, the activists arrived in Egypt in a bid to enter Gaza, but their entry was banned. "We call on both sides to cease violence. The blockade on Gaza is a crime," one of the activists said.
Minister: File charges against El-Sana
Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch turned to Attorney General Menachem Mazuz and asked him to file charges against MK El-Sana for supporting a terror organization.
"After the minister learned of the phone call in which he broadcast the evil words of the Hamas leader, he sent an urgent letter to Mazuz, demanding that he prosecute him for supporting a terror organization," an official at Aharonovitch's office said.
"We cannot accept a situation in which every person, let alone a Knesset member in the State of Israel, serves as a pipeline for a terror organization whose only goal is to destroy the State of Israel. There is a limit to cynicism.
"Enforcing the law is the internal security minister's supreme value, and we view this as a blatant offense. Even the bill for the phone the call was made on is paid by the State of Israel."
MK Zevulun Orlev (Habayit Hayehudi) said, "This time MK El-Sana has crossed all red lines. Letting one of the State of Israel's greatest enemies speak and incite masses against the country deserves a criminal investigation and prosecution. This act is a clear support for armed terror," Orlev said.
Ali Waked, Efrat Weiss and Amnon Meranda contributed to this report
