Thousands march in Jerusalem rally

[IndianaGreen]

Thousands march in Jerusalem rally

UPDATED ON:
Sunday, March 07, 2010
01:30 Mecca time, 22:30 GMT

At least 3,000 protesters, including Israelis and Palestinians, have rallied in an Arab quarter of east Jerusalem to protest the eviction of Palestinians from their homes there in favor of Jewish settlers.

The protesters waved red flags bearing the inscription "Shalom," or peace in Hebrew, during the demonstration in Sheikh Jarrah on Saturday.

They chanted slogans such as "No to ethnic cleansing," and "Sheikh Jarrah residents don't lose hope, we are blocking the road to settlement."

A large Israeli police contingent watched over the demonstration, the largest of its kind for several decades against Jewish settlements in Jerusalem.

Police had intended to ban the gathering, but it was finally approved by the supreme court on an appeal launched by the far-left movement.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/03/2010362141312196.html

[Violet_Crumble]

1. It's fantastic to see such a large peaceful protest...

I hope this is the first of many...

Also, from the article: 'Several Palestinian families of Sheikh Jarrah have been expelled in recent months in favour of Israeli settlers on the grounds their houses belonged to Jews before the creation of Israel in 1948.'

So, seeing how there were many many houses belonging to Palestinians prior to the creation of Israel, I'm wondering why it's only Palestinian families who are evicted in favour of Israeli settlers and it doesn't happen the other way round?

[mrdmk]

2. Why is it only up to the far left to fight for peoples right to live in their home in peace? n/t

[TexasProgresive]

3. The right believes that Might = Right

It is their manifest destiny to do whatever they want.

Of course the right doesn't have a lock on this kind of thinking. The left is perfectly capable of doing the same - just read history.

[IndianaGreen]

4. We have American Exceptionalism here, they have Israeli Exceptionalism there

Even our "Change You Can Believe In" President declared recently that he believed in American Exceptionalism.

I am reminded of the words of Emma Goldman:

(O)ur globe is divided into little spots, each one surrounded by an iron gate. Those who have had the fortune of being born on some particular spot, consider themselves better, nobler, grander, more intelligent than the living beings inhabiting any other spot. It is, therefore, the duty of everyone living on that chosen spot to fight, kill, and die in the attempt to impose his superiority upon all the others.

Patriotism, a Menace to Liberty (1911)
Emma Goldman

http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/goldman/works/1911/patriotism.htm

[Ken Burch]

5. In today's reactionary, hate-based Israeli political scene, it's heartening to see any resistance

to right-wing ugliness.

If only this would grow.