Baruch Marzel to march in Umm al-Fahm
Our Land of Israel group to hold protest rally in northern city against police 'servility' towards Islamic Movement. Clashes expected as last year
The rightwing organization Our Land of Israel will hold a demonstration Wednesday in front of the offices of the Islamic Movement in Umm al-Fahm to protest what it claims is police failure to act against the movement.
Some 70 members of the organization are expected to participate, led by Kach activists Itamar Ben Gvir and Baruch Marzel. Thousands of police officers will provide security, and serious clashes are expected – as took place last year during a similar demonstration.
About three months ago the High Court approved the demonstration despite police claims, based on past experience and intelligence information, that the demonstration would likely end in public disorder. The Supreme Court even permitted the demonstrators to approach about 50 yards closer to the center of the city than last year, when clashes led to the injury of 15 police and 12 civilians.
The demonstration is to be held after the holidays, and organizers have chosen the day after the memorial day for Rabbi Meir Kahane, founder of Kach.
Rightist march in Umm al-Fahm, 2009 (Photo: George Ginsberg)
"Nothing is more symbolic than the fact that one day after the twentieth anniversary of his murder, Rabbi Kahane's followers will arrive to continue his struggle against the Arab enemy in the Islamic Movement," said Marzel. "It is our right to march and demand that the obsequiousness towards this terror movement be stopped. We demand that (leader of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, Sheikh) Raed Salah and his partners be made illegal. They made Kach illegal, so the Islamic Movement should be even more so."
'This time we'll bring more'
"Following the court's ruling, it was agreed that we would be permitted to demonstrate inside the city before the Islamic Movement offices," Ben Gvir told Ynet. "After the flotilla to Gaza we wanted to demonstrate against the leader of the movement, Sheikh Raed Salah. The police refused, and we appealed to the High Court. In the end, because the sheikh is still in detention, we gave up on the demonstration in front of his house, but we'll get as close as possible to the movement's offices. We've also increased the number of people, and instead of 50 like last year, there'll be 70."
"We want to protest the failure of the police and law enforcement agencies to act against the Islamic Movement and Sheikh Salah," Ben Gvir continued. "We can't have terror activities within the State of Israel. The Islamic Movement acts illegally. It must be shut down along with its offices, and its activists must be arrested."
"When (leftwing organization) Peace Now comes to Hebron they say it's freedom of speech, a legitimate right, and then when we demonstrate they say it's provocation," Ben Gvir said. "Why don’t we have the same rights as the leftists? They allowed the Islamic Movement to demonstrate in Tel Aviv with PLO flags. There's a state within a state here. They do what they like in Umm al-Fahm and this (police) neglect must stop."
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