Memorial rally last year
Photo: Hagai Aharon
Low turnout at memorial for October 2000 riots
Despite outrage over decision to close cases against policemen involved in shooting that led to deaths of 13 Israeli-Arab protestors eight years ago, meager attendance at Sakhnin rally
Even though tensions were exacerbated this year with the decision not to indict the police officers involved in the shooting that led to the deaths of 13 Israeli-Arab protestors in October 2000, only several hundred people gathered in the town of Sakhnin on Saturday afternoon to mark the anniversary of the events.
Earlier this year crowds of thousands took to the streets to demonstrate after the cases were shut. Some attributed today's sparse attendance to the heat, others to the hour, and then there were those who said people have just had enough.
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Rufiya Ghanaym, who lost her son in the riots, told Ynet: "Eight years have passed and no one has been found guilty. We want the State of Israel to issue a statement saying 'We are responsible for your son's murder.'
"Eight years, and the wound doesn't heal. He was only 24, he had his whole life ahead of him. He wanted to get married, he'd just finished building a house. He was a very unique boy," she recalled of the young Emad Ghanaym.
MK Abas Zkoor (United Arab List – Ta'al) was also in attendance. "When a Jew kills an Arab, he gets a commendation. But when an Arab kills a Jew like in Shfaram, he gets indicted," said the MK, referring to the charges brought against Israeli-Arabs who killed Jewish terrorist Eden Natan Zada after he opened fire on civilians in a crowded public bus.
"This proves that there is a difference between Jewish blood and Arab blood. Unfortunately, even today, eight years on, Arab blood is forsaken. While Arabs are indicted, the Attorney General closes cases for murderers of shahids (martyrs)," he said.
