Right-Wing Zionist Thugs Try To Assault
Peace Activist Uri Avnery After Tel Aviv Rally
By Joshua Holland
07 June, 2010
Alternet Blog
This is from Tikkun; I have no other detail to add …
A disaster was averted yesterday (June 5) at Tel-Aviv’s Museum Square, when rightists threw a smoke grenade into the middle of the protest rally, obviously hoping for a panic to break out and cause the protesters to trample on each other. But the demonstrators remained calm, nobody started to run and just a small space in the middle of the crowd remained empty. The speaker did not stop talking even when the cloud of smoke reached the stage. The audience included many children.
Half an hour later, a dozen rightist thugs attacked Gush Shalom’s 86 year old Uri Avnery, when he was on his way from the rally in the company of his wife, Rachel, Adam Keller and his wife Beate Siversmidt. Avnery had just entered a taxi, when a dozen rightist thugs attacked him and tried to drag him out of the car. At the critical moment, the police arrived and made it possible for the car to leave. Gush spokesman Adam Keller said: "These cowards did not dare to attack us when we were many, but they were heroes when they caught Avnery alone."
The incident took place when the more than 10 thousand demonstrators were dispersing, after marching through the streets of Tel Aviv in protest against the attack on the Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Not only was this one of the largest peace demonstrations for a long time, but also the first time that all parts of the Israeli peace camp – from Gush Shalom and Hadash to Peace Now and Meretz – did unite for common action The main slogan was "The Government Is Drowning All of Us" and "We must Row towards Peace!" – alluding to the attack on the flotilla. The protesters called in unison "Jews and Arabs Refuse to be Enemies!"
It’s been many years since the Israeli left has exercised a lot of power. But in the U.S. media, it really doesn’t even exist. There are "the Israelis," and they just sort of have a view. In reality, there are huge divisions and a debate far more robust than would ever be permitted here. There are protests by decent, aware Israelis outraged by their government’s actions, just as there were massive protests on the streets of U.S. cities. Of course, the American media didn’t pay them much heed either, so what are you going to do?
