Police stop rightist march to Gush Katif
Some 400 people arrive at right-wing rally in Sderot ahead of banned march on former settlement bloc. 'I hope IDF retakes Gaza and brings settlers back to the Strip,' says National Union chairman
Some 400 right-wing activists gathered in Sderot on Sunday, with the intent of marching towards the former settlement bloc of Gush Katif.
Once the rally was over – and despite a military order signed by Southern Command Chief Major-General Yoav Galant forbidding the procession – dozens of activists began marching towards the city's exit and security fence.
Mass security forces are currently deployed in the vicinity of the rally's location in Sderot and the city's exits are blocked, as the police had no choice but to close off Highway 34. Police horsemen and Central Control Unit officers detained 22 marchers for questioning and arrested four others.
"All we did was start walking. There are a lot of woman and girls here and all we were trying to do was get to the busses parked at the entrance to the city," One of the activists told Ynet.
"The Police were violent towards us. Dozens of horsemen just galloped towards us as arrested some of the people using brutal force. as far as I know we didn’t break any laws, since we were marching in Sderot."
According to the police, the activists violated both the law and public order and in order to maintain public safety, the forces on the scene had to take certain measures.
'Time to resettle Gush Katif'
Earlier, the police released over a dozen activists who had been "preventively arrested" ahead of the rally. Sources in the force were hopeful that the participants would heed to military instructions and disperse after the rally, but the march organizers, headed by right-wing activist Daniela Weiss, said the march will go on as planned.
"We filed the necessary papers to hold the march and I think we should resettle Gush Katif. This isn’t about slogans, this is about getting things done on the ground," she told Ynet.
Marching on. right-wing activists in Sderot (Photo: Tsafrir Abayov)
The Police said that the request was granted on the understanding that the rally would be the only event to take place.
National Union Chairman Yaakov Katz spoke at the rally and said that he himself was unaware that the march might be held without permit: "We spoke with the police and arranged for a license. We will follow police instruction and we will stand by our word. Once the rally ends we will disperse."
Just before concluding his speech, Katz added that he hopes "the military will launch an Operation Cast Lead 2, retakes Gaza and bring the settlers back to the Strip."
Among the hundreds who arrived as Sderot, was Rabbi Shaul Halfon, a former resident of the settlement of Sa-Nur. "We felt a need to come here today, but unfortunately this government acts as if it's not the Jews' government.
"This land is ours, including the Gaza Strip. We aim to return to Gush Katif. The police may try to prevent it, but it's our being here that is important."
Gila Kronman, form Jerusalem, reiterated the sentiment: "We are here to declare that this country belongs to all Jews and not to the Arabs. They have 22 countries – we only have one. Our presence here makes a statements and that is why we are here."
Police forces prevented some of the activists from arriving at the Zikim area, which overlooks what once was the Elei Sinai settlement.
"All we wanted to do was look at the area, but the police claim to have an order barring us from Zikim," Said Avi Farhan from Sderot. "When leftists want to protest near Erez crossing they are allowed to do so."
Alon Davidi, a Sderot City councilman, was also detained by police forces. "I was just walking by with my children and a policeman stopped us and called me a provocateur. I told him I lived in Sderot, but I guess the police see all of us as right-wing extremists."
