File photo
Israeli Arabs announce general strike, protests in solidarity with Gazans
High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel says schools, businesses to close Wednesday to show support for Gazans; protests planned in Majd al-Krum, Wadi Ara and the Negev Tuesday.
The High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens of Israel announced Monday evening a general strike in the Arab sector to be held Wednesday in solidarity with the people of Gaza, which is set to include schools and businesses.
The Committee will also organized protests on Tuesday evening in Majd al-Krum, Wadi Ara and the Negev, in the wake of the deaths of 59 Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip border riots Monday.
Police and protesters clash outside US Embassy inauguration in Jerusalem (צילום: דוברות המשטרה)
Also Monday, a protest rally was held outside of the ceremony inaugurating the new US Embassy in Jerusalem Monday afternoon, with the participation of hundreds of Arabs as well as Jews.
File photo. Demonstration of Israeli Arabs
Police arrested 14 protesters during the demonstration—held at the capital's Arnona neighborhood—who were said to be bluntly disrupting the peace, confronting cops and disobeying orders.
While police authorized the protest, at a certain stage Palestinian flags were hoisted and slogans such as "Allahu akbar," "In blood and fire we shall redeem Palestine," "We will sacrifice our lives for the Al Aqsa Mosque" and "Gazan martyrs are heroes" began to be chanted.
Police noted the protest's goal was to "create a deliberate provocation and foment discord." Once the inciting chants died down, police noted, the demonstration carried on as planned.
Arab lawmakers and hundreds of others protested outside of the new US Embassy in Jerusalem (Photo: AP)
The rally was organized by the High Follow-Up Committee. Arab MKs—Jamal Zahalka, Ahmad Tibi and Yousef Jabareen—as well as the Committee's head, himself a former lawmaker, Mohammad Barakeh, were forcefully pushed back by police officers present on the scene.
MK Zahalka, who is also the chairman of the Joint List's parliamentary group, said, "Moving the embassy is a dangerous provocation, a hostile move towards the Palestinian people and their just rights and a blatant violation of United Nations resolutions."
MK Zahalka fending off police
"Starting today, the United States can no longer claim to be an impartial, fair mediator and the embassy's move is a public statement that it stands to the side of the Israeli occupation and is an avowed enemy of the Palestinian people," Zahalka maintained.
"Al Quds is the capital of Palestine," the lawmaker declared, "and anyone who disavows that and tries to enforce an occupation on (Jerusalem) is pouring oil on the flames of bloodshed."
