Demonstrations erupt across West Bank; clashes in East Jerusalem as Palestinians protest Gaza

[ProgressiveMuslim]

Demonstrations erupt across West Bank; clashes in East Jerusalem as Palestinians protest Gaza violence
Date: 27 / 12 / 2008 Time: 16:49



Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinians poured into the streets Saturday after news of a massive Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip hit media outlets. Clashes broke out in Hebron and East Jerusalem as demonstrators met Israeli troops.

Spontaneous demonstrations took place in East Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarem, and the Ad-Duheisha refugee camp, while organized rallies marched in Hebron and Bethlehem.

East Jerusalem

Violent clashes erupted between Palestinian youth and Israeli forces in Shufat refugee camp, Qalandia, Ar-Ram and Al-Isawiya as Palestinian youth hurled stones at the Israeli soldiers and set fire to car tires. Dozens of injuries and arrests were reported.

The youth gathered after a call came from Fatah leader Demitri Deliani calling for a reaction to the Gaza violence. He called the demonstration a normal response to the Israeli massacres, and announced a blood drive would be organized in an effort to help wounded Gazans.

Black flags were hung around the city and a commercial strike was declared.

Tulkarem

Tulkarem Governor Talal Duweikat and PLC member Hasan Khriesah joined hundreds of Palestinians marking in the streets protesting the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza.

Participants called for the international community to pressure the Israeli government into halting its military ongoing operations. The city declared a day of mourning.

Hebron

Hundreds of students from Hebron University, Al-Quds Open University and the Polytechnic University in Hebron rallied in the city calling for an end to the violence. They chanted anti-occupation slogans and called for Palestinian rivals to unify under Israeli pressure.

The group marched to the Bab Az-Zawiyah neighborhood where confrontations erupted between Palestinian youths and Israeli forces at the entrance to Ash-Shuhada (martyrs) street. Youths pelted a nearby Israeli military post at the entrance of the street. Israeli soldiers fired back tear gas canisters causing suffocation to many youths.

Ramallah

The Fatah party in Ramallah organized a rally for hundreds of people Saturday, and called a general strike that saw all shops in the city close for the day. Demonstrators and international community institutions lifted banners and slogans saying “one blood, one nation, Gaza we are with you.”

One Palestinian official in the ministry of Prisoners Affairs Ziyad Abu Ein said the event showed that Palestinian unity can oppose Israeli aggression, and called on all Palestinians to unite in dark days.

Palestinian Legislative Council member Mustafa Barghouthi attended the rally and called the latest Israeli violence “their harshest crimes against Palestinians,” and condemned other Arab states for their silence.

PLC member for the Change and Reform Bloc Ayman Daraghmeh called on the Palestinian Authority to halt peace negotiations with Israel immediately.

Bethlehem

Protests spontaneously erupted in the Ad-Duheisha refugee camp south of Bethlehem as news of the Israeli attacks spread, and information of a larger protest in the center of Bethlehem began to circulate through the city almost immediately.

Palestinian Civil Society organizations called on all “people of conscience in the Bethlehem area,” to gather at the Nativity Church Saturday evening to protest the Israeli violence.

http://maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=34263

[ProgressiveMuslim]

1. "We will not forget you Gaza."

Palestinians in the West Bank have demonstrated for unity between the rival factions, Fatah and Hamas, after Israeli air attacks on the Gaza Strip killed more than 155 people and wounded 200 others.

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered in the centre of Ramallah in the West Bank on Saturday, some carrying banners reading: "We will not forget you, Gaza."

The Israeli bombardment also sparked rallies across the Arab world, including in Amman, the capital of Jordan, and Damascus in Syria.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese movement which fought a 33-day war against Israel in the summer of 2006, called for a demonstration in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, later on Saturday.

Nour Odeh, Al Jazeera's correspondent in neighbouring Jordan, said: "This is probably one of the most violent Israeli air campaigns against Gaza."

(snip)

"Politically speaking, this is devastating... We can see people in Ramallah coming out on the streets, calling on the leaderships in the Palestinian territories to unite, and set aside their differences knowing that that will be difficult, as it has been for the past year and a half.

"It will certainly be very embarrassing for Mahmoud Abbas , who is engaged in a peace process with Israel, trying to convince a very sceptical public that a political process with Israel can yield results while these bombs are raining on Gaza.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2008/12/20081227122748912382.html

[aquart]

2. No rockets, of course, were raining on Israel first, right?

This was, of course, a completely unprovoked attack, right?

Leading one to wonder if Hamas was having some trouble maintaining civilian control...and how many of its own it is willing to sacrifice to maintain that control.

Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot. It's all Israel's fault. Everything is always all Israel's fault.

Egypt open its borders yet?

[azurnoir]

4. Why yes they have

Egypt is taking wounded to hospitals in Egypt that was in PMs first report this morning

Egypt slams Israeli raids on Gaza, opens border crossing

CAIRO (AFP) – Egypt condemned Israel's Saturday air raids on Gaza that killed at least 155 Palestinians, opening its Rafah border crossing with the territory to allow the wounded through for medical treatment.

"Egypt condemns the Israeli military aggression on the Gaza Strip and blames Israel, as an occupying force, for the victims and the wounded," President Hosni Mubarak said in a statement.

He gave instructions for the Rafah terminal -- the only one bypassing Israel -- to be opened so that the wounded could be treated in Egyptian hospitals.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081227/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgazaegypt_081227140227

Egypt has also recalled its ambassador from Israel

[Vegasaurus]

3. The only thing that the Palestininans have unity over

is hatred of Israel.

They are unlikely to find unity with each other, since they would just as likely kill each other as kill an Israeli.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

10. Hamas has said as much today, and is threatening to kill PA leaders claiming colusion

[bemildred]

5. 5 leftists arrested in protest against Gaza strike in Tel Aviv

Hundreds of left-wing activists are staging an illegal protest on the Defense Ministry's lawn in Tel Aviv, against the military strike in Gaza. Five of the protestors were arrested after destroying the fence and clashing with security forces.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3645205,00.html

[ProgressiveMuslim]

6. Good for them. Good to see some people standing up against this massacre. nt

[bemildred]

7. Yes, it's the war lovers against the rest of us. nt

[Scurrilous]

8. Jordan: Members of parliament burn Israeli flag

Lawmakers in Amman hold moment of silence for those killed in IDF offensive, some call for expulsion of Israeli ambassador

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3645983,00.html

<snip>

"The al-Arabiya network of the United Arab Emirates reported Sunday that three Jordanian members of parliament burned an Israeli flag during a special parliament session protesting the IDF operation in the Gaza Strip.

According to the report, the MPs initially planned to step on the flag, but then decided to set fire to it as some of their colleagues applauded.

Another Jordanian lawmaker held a placard saying the Hashemite Kingdom should expel the Israeli ambassador. The MPs then held a moment of silence I honor of those killed during the Israeli offensive.

During the session Prime Minister Nader Dahabi said Jordan supports "our brothers in the occupied Palestinian territories."

[Vegasaurus]

9. Meanwhile, the Egytians are shooting at the Palestinians trying to breach the border

and sealing up as quickly as the Gazans can tear it down.

There is only verbal sympathy from the Arab countries. Nothing more.

They don't really want the Palestinians out of refugee camps, or to offer them citizenship or employment.

Easier to use them as scapegoats and pawns, and "pretend" to care.