| Israeli Arabs and Jews protest against Gaza blockade |
| Updated at: 0118 PST, Sunday, January 03, 2010 TEL AVIV: Hundreds of Israeli pacifists, both Arabs and Jews, marched in central Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest against the blockade imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip. The demonstrators -- estimated at more than 1,000 by organisers of the march -- changed slogans urging "liberty and justice for Gaza" as they marked the first anniversary of Israel's war on Gaza. They called for the lifting of the blockade on the Hamas-ruled coastal enclave and accused Israel of carrying out "war crimes" in the territory. On December 27, 2008 Israel launched a massive offensive against Gaza in a bid to halt Palestinian rocket and mortar fire. About 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed during the 22-day conflict. On Thursday, hundreds of people including international activists held a similar protest on both sides of the Erez crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Among the protesters were a small group of bearded anti-Zionist religious Jews clad in traditional ultra-Orthodox clothing and holding signs that read: "Judaism yes, Zionism no... State of Israel must go." Israel has sealed Gaza off to all but limited humanitarian aid since Hamas -- an armed Islamist group pledged to the Jewish state's destruction -- seized power there in June 2007 from forces loyal to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas. |
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